Won't Back Down
by DramastarOF06
Summary: After Alex's death Liz begins her search for his killer, but are the results really worth it?
1. You Took My Everything

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Title: Won't Back Down

Author: DramastarOF06

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Rating: As always PG-13

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Summary: After Alex dies Liz begins her search for Alex's killer, but are the results really worth it?

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Disclaimer: I do not own the song or the show or anything for that matter. Heck I don't even own this computer I am typing on, (My sister does )

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A/N: This story will take place right after Cry Your Name. So in this story none of the bad Tess and Max sex and baby stuff happens. No offense to Tess lovers, I just like Liz and Max more. Plus, I just started this story and I haven't got a second part up and ready to go so if it takes me a little while don't worry. (If anyone likes it.) **R&R!!**

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Part 1: You Took My Everything

Liz sat on the ground of the cemetery just staring at the grave in front of her. It had been such a long time since she came here. Alex's death had pushed her over the edge as her friends saw it. They thought that the loss of her beloved friend had pushed her so far that she could never come back. She started delving deeper into the mystery and soon found herself as Las Cruces. She had begged Maria to join her but Maria said that she wouldn't help play into the illusion of a murder for Liz's self-sanity. 

Liz went on her own and found some stuff, nothing majorly relevant, but enough to prove her theory. When Liz got home an eerie message waited for her and Liz just ignored it. Sure it had threatened her life and the lives of all those around her, but she was so close now. Finding Alex's killer would be worth anything that she had to go through. She spent countless nights telling herself that, this mystery that took her friend's life was the only thing that was keeping her going. Seeing Max and Tess grow closer just made Liz want to retch and the thought of them…No she would not let her mind go there. 

Now months later she had lost the battle that she didn't think possible to loose. She now knew who Alex's killer was, but she wrong about the lives of the ones she loved being not worth it. She knew that now that it was too late. She cried every night just thinking of the pain, the suffering, the misery. It tore her up inside that all this was her fault. 

She looked back once more to the red Jetta that was waiting for her. It's driver never leaving her alone, but then again, there were worse things. Conversations sped up through her mind, ones that she wished she had not had, ones that would have stopped all this pain. 

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"You don't want to believe that Alex was killed by an alien because that would mean that it was your fault!" 

Liz still remembered the hurt that flashed in Max's eyes, the hurt that she had caused. 

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"I won't let this go Maria. Understand that or we have no friendship."

"Liz I don't understand why you're doing this. Just let it go."

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"If you don't give up your search for your friend's killer you or your family might be next." 

Liz wiped a tear off her face. If only she had listened. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**__**

Months Earlier

Liz ran out of her car and into her house. She had to write this down. She just had a major breakthrough on the 'Alex's murderer' case. This one clue could end it all entirely, she just had to examine it and then hopefully she would get her answers. 

Liz's parents were preparing supper and noted Liz's fast pace. 

"Lizzie, where's the fire?" Her father yelled out and then laughed. 

"Liz will you eat with us tonight?" Her mother pleaded with her. 

"Ok, umm, let me just put this in my room." Liz said while pointing to the folder in her hand. 

"All right sweetheart." Jeff said while putting the last plate on the table. He turned to his wife and smiled at her. 

Liz placed the folder on her desk and then reconsidered. She turned towards her wall and pulled out the brick that covered her journal. The folder was neatly placed with her journal and the brick put in it's place. Liz then turned to leave her room and heard the doorbell ring. 

"I'll get it!" Liz yelled as she entered the hallway. 

"Ok baby." Her mother called back. 

Liz walked into the living room slowly. Her hand neared the door and twisted it open but was pushed backward into the wall. The masked figure put their hand on Liz's stomach and instantly Liz felt a searing hot pain rip through her. 

Not being able to contain it, Liz screamed out in pain which caused her parents to come running into the room. Her father was the first to react. 

"Who the hell…?!" Jeff was cut off by the same force that had Liz pinned to the wall pushing him into the floor. He felt his bones breaking one by one. Nancy was the next one. The masked person who had trespassed on their privacy held their hand out to her. Liz tried to scream for her mother to run but couldn't find the strength to move her lips. Her mother felt the same pain that Liz was feeling and collapsed onto the ground. 

The stranger looked at Liz again, the only thing Liz noticed was this persons eyes, the rest was covered in black. The eyes were windows to the soul, someone once said, but Liz saw nothing. No soul. 

"I warned you." Were the last things that Liz heard before darkness claimed her. 

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Lyrics the story is based on. The song Won't Back Down by Fuel.

YEAH!!!   
  
I know what darkness means  
(and the void you learned from me)  
The isolation steams  
(So I think it wants to bleed)  
The echoes in my brain  
(All the things you said to me)  
You took my everything  
Now I'm coming for you!  
  
[Chorus:]  
I won't back down  
I will not bow  
I've come to bring you hell  
I can't forget  
Things you did  
I've come to bring you hell  
  
The shadows that you see  
(In the places that you sleep)  
Are memories of me  
(Better pray your soul to keep)  
The truth behind your eyes  
(You know the thing you never see)  
Your darkest little lies  
I'm coming for you!  
  
[Chorus]  
  
All the scars that never heal  
All the wounds that will not seal  
I will not forget the day  
These memories never fall  
  
[Chorus]  
  
I've come to bring you hell  
(I've come to bring you hell)   



	2. What Darkness Means

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Part 2: What Darkness Means

Maria had just gotten back from their group meeting which Liz failed to attend. Liz had become just a flake lately, she was so obsessive with Alex's murderer that she ditched everyone and everything. She didn't care if she hurt people in the process either. Maria flopped down onto her bed and looked up at her ceiling. She heard her mother knock on her door and heard her come in. 

"Maria sweetheart, we need to talk." Amy said. Maria knew this wasn't good, her mother almost never sounded sad when she wanted to talk.

"What's wrong?" Maria asked immediately. 

Amy now couldn't find the words to say. It was like every word in her vocabulary disappeared. 

"Mom?" 

"Honey, the Parker were rushed to the hospital a couple of hours ago." Amy blurted out. She didn't know how to tell her daughter that her only friend was in critical condition after some psycho broke into their house and tried to kill everyone. 

"What?" Maria asked almost unbelieving. 

"Jim just called me, he's at the hospital now. Oh God Maria!" Amy started to cry. 

"Please just don't tell me that Liz is dead. I need Liz!" Maria screamed out. 

"I know sweetie. I know." Amy cradled her baby in her arms till her sobs subsided. 

^^^^^^^

Maria let her mother lead her into Roswell Memorial. It seemed like her mother knew exactly where to go, and she did. Jim Valenti told her where he would be. So they went there to wait with him.

When they got to him Maria noticed that Kyle was there, although he didn't look like he was paying any attention. His face was covered in his hands and he was bent over crying. Maria didn't know where it came from, maybe instinct, but she soon found herself hugging him, both crying for their friend. 

Jim explained that Liz was in surgery now but her mother was dead when the paramedics arrived at the apartment. Liz's father didn't survive the ambulance ride. Maria and Kyle cried a little harder now. Even if she was all right she was going to be alone, she would now be an orphan. 

The silence was deafening as they waited for Liz to come out of surgery. No one spoke until a thought hit Maria. 

"Did anyone call Max?" She asked shakily. 

"I did, I got his voicemail and I left him a message, he should be getting her soon." Kyle offered and then the waiting room was once again filled with silence. 

They waited a little while longer when finally Amy and Jim went off to get something to eat. Kyle and Maria volunteered to stay and keep watch for the doctor. 

It was only when Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess walked through the doors did they move. Maria and Kyle weren't as thrilled to see them as they thought they would be though. In their spare time while waiting for the doctors to arrive Jim had told them about what had killed Nancy and what was found on Liz. A silver handprint. Maria knew what that meant, it meant that Liz was right and that she was close to the truth. An alien did kill Alex. 

Michael stopped in front of Maria and Kyle. Both had their arms around one another, a sort of friendly gesture to them, but to Michael, Kyle was trespassing on his territory. 

"Valenti, don't you got your own girl to put your arms around?" Michael said before Maria stood up to face Max and Michael. Isabel and Tess stood behind them, none of them knew the reason they were called. 

For a long moment they just stood in silence. Humans on one side, aliens on the other. Max finally thought it time to break the silence when he felt Maria's hand come hard upon his face. 

"Maria!" Isabel gasped and Tess raised her hands to her mouth. 

"You bastard." Maria said in a whisper. "You bastard!" She was now yelling. "I hate you, I hate all of you!" Maria attempted to claw at each of them but Kyle held her back. The aliens just stood there, not knowing what they had done wrong. 

"Maria! Maria! Stop it!" Kyle commanded as he drew Maria towards him. "Shh….it's gonna be ok." He tried to sooth her as she began to calm down in his arms. 

"I hate them Kyle." Maria sobbed in his arms. "I really do." 

"I know, I know." He said while smoothing out her hair. 

Michael was the first to recover from Maria's attempted attack. 

"What the hell was that about?!" He asked.

"Shut up Guerin!" Kyle ordered.

"Why don't you make me, Valenti!" Michael retorted. 

"Guys Stop it!" Isabel ordered. "Now someone tell us what's going on!" 

"An alien did kill Alex." Maria said bluntly. 

"What are you talking about, you guys sound like Liz." Tess said as she put her hand in Max's, this whole situation was making her nervous. 

"Liz was right! Someone knew she was right, that's why we're here." Maria lowered her voice to a whisper. 

"What are you talking about?" Max demanded. 

"Someone broke into Liz's house, they killed her mother and her father and put her in ICU! Someone who was very much alien!" Maria looked at the four aliens. 

"Just because someone breaks into Liz's house does not mean that they are an alien." Isabel said in a hushed whisper. 

"Oh really, what if they had a silver handprint to match the killing that they did?!" Maria was now getting angry and couldn't take it anymore. "Don't you four see? It's because of you that I lost Alex! It's because of you that I'm going to lose Liz!" Maria cried out as she collapsed to the ground. 

^^^^^

The four aliens sat on one side of the waiting room while Maria and Kyle sat on the other. The doctor was now talking to Jim and Amy about Liz's condition. As Jim and Amy approached the teens Jim felt horrible about having to tell them this. 

"How is she?!" Maria asked, she was so scared that she would never get to apologize to Liz. 

"Well, the doctor said that it's touch and go from here on out. It's gonna be a rough twenty four hours, but there's reason for hope. Now the doctor said that Liz won't be allowed any visitors for the next couple of hours, but we can wait until then." Jim said as he pulled Kyle to him. 

The doctor came out and told them the next morning that Liz was now in a comma and he wasn't clear on when she was going to wake up. 'It could be a day, a week, a month, or a year. We just don't know.' Was what he said. Maria could feel her stomach tightening in knots as her mother made her go to school. The thought of leaving Liz alone in the hospital frightened her. What if Liz woke up and she didn't know where she was? What if Liz woke up and she didn't know who she was? What if….what if she died? Maria tried to keep those thoughts in the back of her mind as she kept up hope. 

But as days turned to weeks and Liz was still not out of the comma all hope was dwindling and Maria was left feeling empty and scared. With Alex gone and Liz almost gone, who was suppose to take care of her? She needed them, no one else in the world understood her. No one ever tried. At the end of the day she ended up feeling like she was shrouded in darkness, and it wouldn't go away. 

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A/N: Thank you for the feedback, it was greatly appreciated. I hope everyone likes this story and either way tell me your opinion. For some reason I am in this stage where I'm trying make things sad before they get happy. I'm just experimenting and pretty soon I'll go back to my normal frame of writing. **R&R**


	3. Scars that Never Heal

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Part 3: Scars that Never Heal

Max sat in the hospital waiting room almost everyday. Some days Maria would be there with Kyle or her mother, some days Michael or Isabel joined him. Most of the time he just sat in the waiting room hoping and…yes, even praying. Max hadn't found the courage to walk into Liz's room and face her unconscious form. It seemed that she was more intimidating now that she was near death. Max couldn't place it, but he felt that she needed him, like she didn't need him to heal her, just to see her. 

About two weeks after she was initially brought into the hospital he finally got up the guts to walk into her room. He never knew what to say. Jim told him that just talking helped her. Max knew that on some level Jim was right, but on another level, Max knew that she couldn't hear him. 

As he walked into the blanched white room he felt an overwhelming presence come over him. He knew that Liz was there, in spirit, she was trying to come back to them, to him. He placed his hand over hers, IV tubes and heart monitor wires made their presence known. He looked at the tubes stretching from the inside of her mouth. The doctor said that as long as she was asleep she couldn't feel them. The tubes made their way down her throat and he couldn't help but gag at knowing that Liz was experiencing such pain. 

The steady rhythm of the heart monitor kept him steady as he lowered himself onto the chair next to her bed. It killed him to see her like this. The blue and white checkered hospital gown did nothing for her brilliance but never the less she still looked beautiful to him. Her hair flew freely around her face and he couldn't help but lean up and place a gentle hand to her cheek. Maybe talking to her would help him ease him mind, his aching heart, and his soul. 

"Liz?" He whispered softly. "I know you can't hear me and when you wake up all of us are gonna have a really good laugh at all the secrets that we spilt to you but I needed to tell you some things." He paused and looked at her unmoving form. "I….I never stopped loving…you. I couldn't even try. No mat…no matter how much you tried to push me away, I couldn't get you out of my head." By this time he was letting the tears that he had been holding back flow freely and he let the sobs wrack his body, making his voice quiver. 

"When I saw you with…with Kyle, I thought that you had finally given up on us. I wanted to hurt you like you hurt me and I couldn't see past that." He paused again and looked up at the ceiling, wishing for some assistance from a heavenly power. "I keep remembering Vegas and how when we were dancing you wanted to tell me something. Now that…that you are so far away," He let another sob over take him. "that I will never have the chance to find out what you wanted to say. I never wanted you to leave me Liz, I only wanted you. 

"If you promise that you'll come back to me….I promise that I'll give you another chance…to explain. I'll listen to you….I'll, I'll do anything you want me too, just please don't leave me." He said as he put his head down on where their two hands met. "I love you Liz." He whispered softly. 

It seemed like hours to him but in fact it was merely seconds till he felt her hand move under him. He jumped back in surprise by her sudden movement and smiled when her eyes seemed to flutter open. He ran to call a nurse or a doctor or anyone that would come to him. He was quietly escorted out of the room where he promptly called everyone and told them all of Liz's awakening. 

He was then ushered back into her room where he saw her sitting up and just going through some preliminary tests. When they were through the doctor smiled at him before walking out. 

"Hey." He said calmly, trying to quiet the feelings in his stomach. 

"H…Hey." She tried to get the words out of her dry throat. 

"Do you want some…" He let his sentence trail off as he went for the pitcher of water. She only nodded and he poured her a cup. "I called everyone and they are all on their way." 

"Max?" She asked quietly. 

"Liz, you do know what happened to you don't you?" He asked, suddenly being hit with the fact that Liz may not remember. 

"I…I remember little things." Liz started but then looked back at him. She cleared her throat and took another gulp of water. "What happened Max?" 

Max froze. He could not tell the girl he loved that it was his fault that she was in here. He could not tell her that it was his fault that her parents were dead. He could not tell her that. But he had too. 

"Liz, we have to talk." He said before sitting next to her. 

^^^^^^

Max sat in the hospital waiting room. He just got done talking with Liz and knew that she wanted to be alone. He gave her that time and went to sit in the very same chair he had occupied during his whole stay at the hospital. He replayed their entire conversation in his mind over and over. Liz cried a lot. She screamed at him at one point also. She called him a liar and a coward. He understood where all this was coming from, her parents were killed by an alien. 

After he promised to leave her alone for a little while he exited the room and took up residence in his chair to wait for Maria and everyone else. As he sat and waited, one thought came into his mind. He was going to be the one to find the killer, and make them pay for all they had done to Liz.

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Maria ran into Liz's hospital room. She never ran so fast in her whole life. Liz was awake, or at least that's what Max told her. Maria entered the room and already felt the difference. Instead of a feeling of death hovering over the room, you were now greeted by warmth and love. Maria then looked at where Liz was now sleeping with no tubes or vents keeping her breathing. 

"Oh…Liz?" Maria asked hopefully with tears in her eyes. She saw the fluttering of Liz's eyes and they soon opened. Maria smiled even wider and took her friends hand. 

"Maria?" Liz asked in a whisper. 

"Yeah, chica, it's me." Maria reassured her while wiping a tear from her eye. 

"I was so scared." Liz said before starting to cry. "I…oh Maria." Liz got out before she closed her eyes again and sobbed. 

Somehow Maria knew that Liz now knew that her parents were dead. Maria didn't talk she just sat with her. Liz cried and then mumbled something that was incoherent due to her sobs and then cried some more. It broke Maria to see her friend like this, but she was going to be there for her. She was given a second chance and she was going to cherish it. 

^^^^^^

"Max?! How is she?" Tess asked as herself, Michael, and Isabel ran into the hospital waiting room.

"Well let's see. Her parents are dead, she is now an orphan, she just woke up from a comma, and the people that she trusted most in the world are responsible for the murder of her best friend and parents. How would you feel?" Max snapped at Tess. 

"Max it was just a question." Isabel defended her. 

"I need some air." Max brushed past them and walked towards the exit. 

"What's wrong with him?" Michael asked in an annoyed tone. 

"Who cares, let's go see Liz." Isabel said as the three of them left the waiting room. 

When they all reached Liz's room they were greeted by Maria and Liz crying in each others arms. Quietly they all decided t take a step back and let the two girls alone for now. They all went back to the waiting room to wait, but now the waiting wasn't as hard. 

^^^^^

Kyle had been sitting in the waiting room for two hours now while Maria and Liz sobbed. The aliens wouldn't let him leave the room without him and if he tried he was stopped. He carefully kept his eyes on the clock, not moving them at all. 

"Hey." Maria said as she walked back into the room. 

"How is she?" Isabel asked as they all stood up. 

"She stopped crying about an hour ago. She fell asleep half an hour ago and I've been watching her making sure that she'll wake up." Maria admitted. Kyle pulled her close to him and let her cry. 

"Ok, I let this go while Liz was out of it, but now that she's gonna be ok I am going to speak my mind. Maria is my girlfriend Valenti, get your own." Michael said before pulling Maria into his arms. 

"For you information, Guerin, our parents are dating, which practically makes us brother and sister, so get a life." Kyle spoke before leaving the room with Maria not far behind. 

"Way to go Michael." Tess said in a monotone voice before sitting back down. 

^^^^^^^^

"So Liz said that this folder was in her wall?" Kyle asked as they both sat hunched over a bag of chips in the cafeteria. 

"Yeah, and the weird thing was, I don't think she meant to tell me. She just kept babbling on about how if she had been more careful, or if she had let this whole thing drop, then her parents would still be alive." Maria said before taking a chip from the bag. They both sat in silence for another couple of minutes before she spoke again. "What you said back there, in the waiting room, thanks." 

"No problem. With Alex gone, who's left to look after us unfortunate humans?" He gave her a smirk.

"I've caught them in driveway." Maria told him.

"I've caught them in the living room." Kyle said and they both made disgusted faces. "How long do you think they'll let this go on before they finally propose?" He asked her. 

"Oh at least another two weeks." Maria said to him. 

"Shall we toast then?" He asked, temporarily forgetting the dreary mood.

"We shall, but to what?"  


"To future engagements and our impending siblingship." Maria raised her cup of soda as Kyle raised his. As they were about to hit he lowered his. "We forgot about our future brothers or sisters."  


"Oh we mustn't forget them." Maria laughed and they hit their cups. 

"So, who's gonna share a room with the little runts?" Kyle asked. They both looked at each other. 

"Not it!" "Not it!" They both shouted but Kyle was a few second too late.

"Damn it." He muttered as Maria laughed. 

Neither of them noticed Jim and Amy walk up behind them. 

"What are you two talking about?" Amy asked curiously. 

"Nothing." They both said in unison and then blushed. Jim just looked to Amy with a skeptical look on his face and then back to the kids. Yeah, sure they were talking about nothing. 

A/N: Thank you all for the feedback. I really hope people like this story because it's been tap dancing in my brain for months. Right now there are a couple more stories doing the Irish Jig as I write. Anyway, thanks for reading, and hopefully reviewing. **R&R!!**


	4. Wounds That Will Not Seal

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Part 4: Wounds That Will Not Seal 

Maria and Kyle walked back into the waiting room, laughing. They had talked to their parents and seemed to be feeling better about the whole Liz situation. As they entered the waiting room the adults felt the tension and excused themselves, leaving the teens to work out their problems. 

"Where's Tess?" Kyle asked. 

"She went to get some air." Isabel told him, her arms firmly crossed across her chest. 

"Where's Max?" Maria asked. 

"He went in to see Liz." Michael now said, his arms exactly like Isabel's. 

The four of them sat in the quiet for a long time, not really talking. Max was what broke them out of their quietness. 

"Hey guys." Max said as he took his usual seat. 

"Hey man. How's Liz?" Michael asked. 

"Sleeping. I didn't want to wake her." Max said as he rubbed his hands over his face. 

"We wanted to apologize." Maria blurted out. The three aliens looked at her oddly. "We were wrong to blame you for what happened to Liz. We're sorry." She stated before looking at the ground. 

"We were wrong not to trust Liz. A lot of strange things have happened to us, I guess we didn't want to believe that it was our fault." Max told them. 

"So are we forgiven?" Kyle asked like a little child.

"Yes, but only if we are as well." Isabel said as she started to stand up. 

"Of course, Buddha always says…." Kyle was about to say something profound when he was cut off by the hospital intercom blasting into their ears. 

"Code Blue ICU, room 471!" The speaker rang through their heads. 

Room 471? That was Liz's room. Code Blue? What did that mean? They all had the same thoughts running through each of their heads before running down the hallway. The people walking slowly were mere burrs to them as they sprinted towards Liz's crowded room. 

The room held doctors and nurses, all wearing matching hospital scrubs. It was weird how they all seemed to pick out the unimportant details lately. The doctors were all hovered over Liz's failing body. They all heard the heart monitor singing the tone of Liz's death. No! This could not be happening. Then they saw the doctors putting the chunky black paddles on her chest. 

"Clear." One word that made them jump. Liz also jumped, her body jerked but the line on the monitor stayed flat.

"What's going on?" Tess asked, out of breath for having to run all the way to the room. Without being answered, she saw what was going on. "Oh my God."

Her hand sought out Kyle's and he graciously took it without words. Michael put his arm around Maria and, Isabel grabbed Max's hands. The doctors tried again with the paddles. This time the line spiked. It kept going in it's beeping pattern and the six teens let out a breath that they hadn't known they were holding. 

The doctors and nurses pushed them away from the door and they were left alone in the waiting room, just waiting. 

^^^^^^^^

Max sat in his usual chair, Kyle sat across from him, Maria laid her head down on Michael's shoulder, Tess sat staring at the wall, and Isabel paced back and forth. They each sat in silence while they waited for any news on Liz. 

Doctors rushed back and forth but no one knew if they were Liz's doctor or not. So many thoughts were rushing through their heads that when the doctor finally did come back and he talked to Jim, no one noticed. Jim approached the kids carefully, not knowing how to say this to them, they had already been through so much. 

"Dad?" Kyle asked. 

"What is it?" Michael asked now. 

"The doctor told me that Liz's morphine dose was pushed up. She overdosed on it." Jim told the kids. 

"Is she gonna be alright?" Maria asked. 

"Wait, you said her dose was pushed up, what does that mean?" Max jumped in. 

"The nurse said that she clearly remembered setting it to the correct dose, she even has Jose, the orderly as her witness. Now, when she went into cardiac arrest the pump wasn't set at what it was suppose to be set at. Someone pushed up her dosage and made her O.D." Jim told them. 

"Could it have been the same person that tried to kill her?" Isabel asked. 

"Probably, but no one really knows for sure." Jim said and then looked over his shoulder. "We just better be really careful, we don't know who this person is. We need to protect Liz."

Max looked at the ex-sheriff with a scowl on his face. Once he got his hands on this guy….!!!!

^^^^^

Liz sat up in her bed. It had been a day since she was in cardiac arrest. Maria was working at the Crashdown because Liz made her promise to go and Michael was helping her out. Kyle was at some sporting activity that Liz made him promise to go to. Tess was doing anything but being with Liz, because Liz made her promise to, and Max was working, because Liz made him promise to. They had all been bothering her and keeping relentless watch over her like she was some infant that needed to be coddled and Liz did not like that. 

Then it hit Liz, she didn't make Isabel promise to do something. And as soon as she thought of that, none other than Isabel Evans walk through her hospital room door. 

"Liz." Isabel greeted with a smile. In fact, it was the very same smile she wore during her reign as the Christmas Nazi.

"Oh for the love of pete." Liz said as she laid her head back. 

"Oh give the 'woe is me' act a break. I'm here to talk." Isabel said as she sat down. "And besides, what's so wrong with us hanging around here twenty four seven?"

"Just the fact that you are all hanging around here twenty four seven. Last night I didn't go to sleep at all because Maria was sitting in that very same chair chatting it up with me about how Pam Troy got suspended for making out with Paulie." Liz said and Isabel laughed. 

"Yeah that was pretty funny, but not for you of course." Isabel quickly recovered after she saw the glare Liz was sending her. "Liz, we are just worried about you. I mean think about it, after what happened to Alex it's only natural that we don't want to lose anymore friends." 

"Do you guys still think I'm crazy?" Liz asked softly. 

"No." Isabel said clearly. "Maria told us about some folder you got on Alex. She said that you told her when you came out of the comma. Where is it?" 

"What are you talking about? I don't remember any folder." Liz said seriously. 

"Ok, I'm guessing we'll have to talk about something else." Isabel said and the two went into a couple moments of silence. "I'm sorry." 

"What? What do you have to be sorry for?" Liz asked, unsure of what Isabel was being sorry for. 

"Your parents. They umm, it's our fault that they're uhh…"   


"Dead." Liz finished for her. "It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I put them in danger." 

"You didn't think that this psycho would go after your family." Isabel said. 

"You wanna know the really twisted part?" Isabel nodded. "I don't remember. I mean I remember that it happened, but…I don't remember." Liz said as the unshed tears started to well up in her eyes. 

"Oh God Liz." Isabel sat up and hugged her. 

"I've tried, but the only thing that I can seem to remember is red. The color red is all that's in my mind when I close my eyes." Liz cried. 

Isabel kept her in the embrace for a long while, each minute thinking that what she was about to suggest was going to be a major leap. But what the hell? 

"Liz?" Isabel asked her. "If you want…I could dream walk you." She suggested. 

"You'd do that…for me?" Liz asked, feeling as if she were a small little child. 

"Of course I would. That's what friends do." Isabel said as she wiped a stray strand of hair off of Liz's face. "I'll do it tonight, that way we can get some answers." 

As Isabel began to sit up Liz pulled her back to her. 

"Take me with you." Liz pleaded. 

"What?" Isabel asked. 

"When you dream walk me…take me with you." When Liz saw Isabel shaking her head in a 'no' Liz turned to the begging approach. "Iz, please. I don't know what happened to them. I need to know. Please, don't let me forget the last time I saw them." 

Isabel looked at Liz long and hard. She turned to walk away but stoped at the door. 

"I don't know if it would work. I've never brought anyone into their own dream before….Besides, Max would kill me if anything happened to you." Isabel shrugged and touched the knob. 

"I…I understand." Liz mumbled out weakly before letting a tear run down her face. 

"I'm sorry." Isabel said and then sighed out heavily before turning to walk away. 

^^^^^


	5. Will Not Forget

**__**

Part 5: Will Not Forget

Liz sat in her bed thinking. If Isabel wouldn't help her then she would never know. Maybe, just maybe, if Isabel helped her then she would know where that folder everyone kept talking about was. Thinking was useless, though, Liz's head was now starting to pound. 

"Who's ready for supper?" The nurse said in a sing song voice. 

"I am, if you brought me real food and not that stuff the cafeteria is claiming to be food." Liz told the nurse. 

"We've gone over this. This food is healthy for you, it's gonna help you get better." The nurse explained. 

"I still don't see how lumpy jello will make me better." Liz said as the tray was set in front of her. 

"When I come back that tray better be empty, and by empty I don't mean in the garbage." The nurse said while walking out. 

Liz contemplated throwing it out the window but she already tried that, the windows wouldn't budge. Just as she was about to sit up her door opened and she twisted around to make it look like she was still laying down. Her nurse would have a fit if she saw her walking around. As Liz eased herself back to the bed the pain in her abdomen from her surgery spread through her like quick fire. 

"Liz!" It wasn't her nurse. It was Max. "You shouldn't be trying to get out of bed." He helped her back, easing the pain away. 

"Hey you. I thought it was the nurse." Liz smiled. 

"Yeah, she told me that you would need to be convinced to eat this." Max motioned towards the tray. "Come on, it can't be that bad." 

"Fine, you try it." Liz said to him. She crossed her arms and watched as Max carefully lifted the fork to his mouth. The brown gravy splattered on the plate and he pushed the fork full of beef into his mouth. 

He chewed and chewed and then he swallowed with a gulp. 

"That was…good." He winced, that was really horrible. 

"I told you so." Liz smirked. "Now make it disappear." 

"You need to eat _something_." He told her before waving his hand over her tray. 

"Well, how about anything but that." Liz said before trying to stand up again. 

Max saw her wince and gently pushed her back down. 

"What do you need?" He asked soothingly. "I'll get it for you." 

Liz took a deep breath as she looked into his eyes. He had the most soulful eyes she had ever seen. His words played in her mind as she began to answer. 

"I…I need my parents." She said tearfully. "Can you bring them back for me?" She got out before she broke down in tears. 

Max pulled her closer to him and stroked her hair while he let her cry. He knew that she was going through a rough time and he vowed to bring her some closure, he needed to. 

Unknown to them, Isabel stood outside of Liz's room watching the whole display. Isabel knew in her heart that she had to find a way to bring Liz with her. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Isabel walked into Liz's hospital room that now had Michael, Maria, and Kyle as her visitors. 

"Hey Iz." Liz greeted her with a smile, of course Isabel knew it was fake. 

"I'll do it." She said before taking a deep breath. 

"You'll do what?" Maria asked with a goofy grin on her face. 

"Isabel, thank you." Liz said seriously. 

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to get this past Max." Isabel said before looking over her shoulder. "Where is Max?" 

"He's at work." Liz answered her. "When do you want to do this?" 

"Do what?" Michael asked now. 

"How bout now?" Isabel asked her. 

"What are we doing now?" Kyle asked. The three that were left out of the loop looked suspiciously at the other two. 

"I'm gonna dream walk Liz, with Liz." Isabel said, trying to explain. 

"I don't understand." Kyle said to them all. 

Isabel shook her head and smiled at Liz. 

"You guys don't need to. All you need to do is keep Max and anyone else out of this room." Liz instructed them. 

Maria and Kyle stared at them for a long time before leaving the room. Liz could already hear them asking each other if they knew what was going on. Michael was left in the room, apparently he did know what was going on. 

"If Max finds out…"  


"He won't find out." Isabel cut him off. "Michael, I need you to go stand guard outside."

"I thought that was what Maria and Kyle were doing." He said with annoyance. 

"They are but we need you out there too." Isabel told him. As he exited the room he took one final look at Liz and Isabel. He didn't think that this was a good idea, but if Isabel thought it was, then why not. 

"You ready?" Isabel asked an unsure Liz. 

"As ready as I'll ever be." Liz said with humor in her voice. 

Isabel took Liz's hand and thought only of Liz. Liz thought only of that night. This had to work, she had to know. Isabel could feel the barrier between dreaming and waking lift and she stumbled through to Liz's mind. 

"Liz?!" Isabel called out urgently. What if Liz couldn't come with her? What if Liz got separated from her and was now lost in her own mind?

"Isabel!" Liz called out as they met in the middle. 

"Don't do that." Isabel scolded. "Now, think about that night." Isabel instructed Liz. 

Liz did just that and they found themselves in Liz's living room. Isabel was now standing alone and Liz was reaching for the doorknob. Ah hah! There was the twist. Isabel could watch, but Liz had to reenact it. Isabel couldn't let Liz go through this again. 

"Liz, we should go." Isabel suggested from her spot in the room. 

"No, I…I don't care. I want to know." Liz stated firmly as she twisted the knob. 

She was once again flung backwards into the wall, only this time she noticed something. The person wasn't holding her. Liz was suspended in mid-air. Isabel also noticed this and wanted to get Liz out of there but Liz wouldn't budge, so she had to stay. Isabel tried to hide her face as Liz's father was pushed to the floor by the alien's powers. Isabel heard the bones of Jeffrey Parker smash. The churning in her stomach only worsened when Nancy Parker came into the room. When Isabel heard Liz cry out she turned around to see Liz crawling towards her parents. Blood was all over Jeff's face and on Liz's stomach. Nancy looked as if she were frozen in time. 

Isabel turned to look at Liz, who was trying to grab her parent's hands but her own hand just kept floating through, as if she were a ghost. 

"Liz, it doesn't work this way." Isabel said simply. 

*****

"Hey!" Maria said, almost too chipper. 

"Hey Maria." Max said while trying to walk around her. 

"Why don't we go down to the caf and get something to eat? I'm hungry, you hungry?" Maria said, feeling almost nervous about this. 

"Yeah, but after I see Liz." Max sidestepped Maria but ran into Michael. 

"Hey Maxwell, want to go get something to eat?"

*******

"We have to go." Isabel said to the hunched over Liz.

"I can't…I can't leave them." Liz said while letting the tears roll down her face. 

"Liz, there's nothing you can do now." Isabel said, trying hard not to hurt her friend. 

"I can stay with them. I need to stay with them. They can't be alone." Liz said, Isabel understood what she was saying. 

"Liz, you are not going to be alone. You have all of us." She told Liz. "We aren't going to leave you." Isabel pulled Liz into a hug. 

"I…I don't know if I can do this alone." Liz admitted softly. 

"You're not alone. You have us. You'll always have us." Isabel said while smiling at her. 

***********

Michael knew that Max was not happy with him. It had been two hours now, and according to Kyle, Isabel and Liz were still not out of Liz's head. Michael and Maria couldn't hold Max off for much longer. 

Before Michael knew what was happening, Max was gone with a stunned Maria left in the lunch line of the hospital. 

"Where'd he go?" Michael asked her urgently. 

"I don't know, I thought you were watching him." Maria accused him as they took off towards the elevators. 

^^^^^^^^^

Isabel took a deep breath as she opened her eyes and found herself back in Liz's hospital room. Liz's eyes were closed but Isabel knew she was back as well. Liz shook as she cried. 

"Liz…" Isabel started but was cut off when she got the strangest feeling that she was being watched. 

"I hope you two had fun." Max said from his seat in one of the chairs in the dark corner of the room. 

"Max." Liz's eyes popped open in surprise. 

Isabel looked back at Liz and then back to her brother. They were in trouble now. 

**__**

A/N: R&R!!


	6. Echoes

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A/N: Thanks for all the feedback. I hope you all like this story and this next part. **R&R!!**

__

Part 6: Echoes

Max stood up slowly and walked towards the two girls. He knew what they just did and to say that he was angry about it was an understatement. Liz could have gotten trapped in her own mind and this time they wouldn't be able to get her out. Isabel could have been hurt, the thoughts about what could have happened ran through his mind, only making him angrier.

"Did you…have fun?" Max asked slowly, trying not to explode on them. 

They both just stared at him in silence. The occasional sniffle was all the sound that the room held. Michael and Maria ran into the room out of breath and found an angry Max and two girls who looked like deer caught in the headlights. 

"No, seriously, I would love an answer." Max told them, ignoring Michael and Maria. 

"No." Liz whispered, she wasn't sure if he would hear her but that didn't matter. 

"What, I didn't hear you?" Max said, when in fact he had heard her. 

"She said no Max, God! Give us a break!" Isabel yelled at him. 

"Oh, you want me to give you a break when you two could have been hurt?!" Max yelled back. 

"We're sorry Max, all right! Is that what you want to hear?!" Isabel yelled at him. 

"No, that's not what I want to hear. I never wanted you to do that, do you guys know what could have happened to you in Liz's mind…." Max was cut off by Liz putting her hands to her head. 

"Get out." She whispered to them all. 

"Liz?" Maria asked, Maria knew Liz and she could see that this was really bothering her. 

"Just get out." Liz repeated before turning around to face the wall. 

As they each stood in silence they heard Liz's sobs and saw them wrack her body. Isabel nodded towards Maria and Michael and the three of them left without a sound. Max however stayed. He didn't mean to hurt her, he didn't want anything of the kind. 

"Liz, I'm sorry, I just don't want to lose you." He said while sitting back into the chair. He put his head in his hands and sighed. 

"Max?" Liz began. He put his head up to face her tearstained face. "Will you just hold me?" She asked him simply. 

He stood up and walked over to her and laid himself down next to her. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around her and he just held her as she sobbed. She cried into his chest, making a giant circle of water appear on his black t-shirt, but he didn't mind, the girl of his dreams was now in his arms. 

He lightly placed a kiss on the top of her head as she fell to sleep, crying all the way. 

^^^^^^^^

She was running, running faster than she ever had before. All she could see was the faint light at the end of this long treck through the woods. The pain in her abdomen grew with every step but she kept going. 

All of a sudden she was pushed down to the ground and all the pain in her already was amplified by the crash to the forest floor. The light seemed so much farther now, she wouldn't be able to reach it. As she tried to stand up something, or someone, pushed her back down. She looked up and saw the person's eyes, blue. They were always blue. 

^^^^^^^^^

Liz sat up in bed in a cold sweat. A nightmare, it was only a nightmare, but if it really was then why was her stomach hurting. She blinked once or twice and cleared the sleep out of her mind before noticing she was in a hospital. Now she remembered. The tears came instantly, those eyes were going to haunt her forever. She was going to dream about hem every night, always haunting her. Always hunting her, always searching for her. They would never leave her alone. 

Liz felt movement beside her and looked down to see Max curled up next to her. She asked him to hold her, but why was he still here? She didn't really care, after that nightmare she needed someone again, she was glad that he didn't leave. Curling back up in his arms was the best thing she ever did. 

Was it really a nightmare that she just experienced? Or was it an Echo? Something that just reverberated back and forth in her mind till it just died out. Liz closed her eyes and prayed that she wouldn't get another, she wanted to sleep to in Max's arms. She snuggled closer to him and without realizing it, she kissed him lightly on the lips. Feeling good enough to submit herself to sleep she let herself relax, and did not notice Max's eyes fly wide open after their lips touched. 

Maybe there was a chance for them after all. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Max walked back to Liz's room slowly. After what happened last night he wasn't sure what he should do. Should he act normal, or ask her about it? Sure it wasn't the most ground braking kiss but it was something. 

As he got out of the elevator he saw a tiny blonde leave Liz's room. It was Tess. 

"Hey Max. I haven't seen you around in a while. I just stopped to see Liz, but she was sleeping." Tess got out in one breath. 

"Yeah, the nurse gave her a sedative earlier cause she didn't sleep good last night." Max explained. 

"Oh that's horrible. Is she ok?" Tess asked with genuine concern. 

"She'll be fine. I'm sure she'll be upset that she missed you." Max said to her. 

"Ok, well I have to go. I have a major history test tomorrow, see ya later." Tess waved good bye before walking away. 

Max walked towards Liz's room and as he was walking he heard a very distraught woman at the nurses station. 

"I demand to see her right now! She is my niece and I am her aunt, she needs me!" The woman yelled and Max just shook his head before walking into Liz's room. 

She lay sleeping peacefully, he wondered what she was dreaming about. Was she dreaming of him?   


"There you see, I told you I saw a boy come in here!" It was the woman from the nurses station now in Liz's room. 

"Ma'am he's one of her friends. One of her friends who has sat with her since she came here. If you really are her aunt then why weren't you here?" The nurse asked the woman with sarcasm. 

"I live in Florida and I own my own business. Forgive me if I couldn't just drop everything for my sister, brother-in-law, and niece." The woman said to the nurse. 

"Excuse me ma'am, I'm Max Evans." Max introduced himself as the nurse checked Liz's vitals.

"Oh you're the boy she ran away from. I don't know if I should be happy to see you." The woman said to him. 

"Uhh…I uhhh…I hope you like me." Max said. "Because I have some bad news." The woman looked at Max intently. "Do you know why you're here?" 

"Some stranger I barely know, uhh, someone by the name of Isabel called me to tell me that there was an emergency and I had to come home right away." The woman said. 

"Mr. And Mrs. Parker are dead." Max said bluntly. 

The woman sat in the nearest chair in shock. 

"I'm sorry." Max said silently. 

Liz's aunt looked at her and started to cry. 

"Is she going to be all right?" She asked him. 

"Yeah. She was in a comma but she woke up a couple days ago. She's still dealing with all that's happened. She probably will be for a while." Max said while looking at his feet. 

"And you've been here the whole time?" She asked him, not taking her eyes off of Liz. 

"Yeah. She had a rough night last night. I stayed so she wouldn't be alone." He told her. 

"Thank you, but…you can leave now." The woman said simply. 

"What?" He asked in shock. 

"She needs her family right now. Her real family." The woman said without looking up. 

Max walked out of the room reluctantly and found himself back in the waiting room. He wouldn't leave Liz with the killer still out there, not even if her aunt beat him, he would not leave her. 


	7. Isolation

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Part 4: Isolation

Liz sat in her hospital room alone. She loved her aunt, she really did, but most of the time she could be a scatter brain. She always reminded her of Donna on _Beverly Hills 90210_, but looked more like Kelly. It didn't help any that she also shared a name with her either. Her aunt Kelly was one of the most unorganized people that she ever met. She also had a strong desire to protect what was hers, and as she saw it now, Liz was hers. They only had each other and that's all that Kelly needed to know.

Liz knew that that was the reason Kelly booted Max from her hospital room. She appreciated her overprotectiveness but it was all too much when it came to Max. Liz did love Max and right now she felt like he was the only one she could talk to.

"Hey." A deep voice broke her from her thoughts. It was Max.

"Hey, I hope my aunt didn't scare you too much." Liz said with a smile.

"No, I'm not afraid of her." He said with a smile before looking around the room. "She isn't around, is she?" He asked.

"No." Liz laughed at him. "She just went to book a flight to Florida. She needs to settle some things there before coming back here."

"So, are you gonna go live with her in Florida?" Max blurted out. He kept his eyes on the floor the whole time, so as not to betray what he was feeling.

"I told her that I wanted to stay here and she accepted that, not very well, but we reached an understanding." Liz said as she started to daze off.

"Liz, what happened between us last night…when we kissed…"

"I didn't think that you were awake." Liz blushed.

"I wasn't." He smiled and felt it reach his eyes when Liz smiled back.

"Max…" Liz started but was cut off by her aunt coming back into the room.

"Ok, the flight's all set and…who are you?" She asked at seeing Max's unfamiliar face.

"I'm Max, Max Evans. You kicked me out earlier." He reminded her but she didn't seem to remember.

"Whatever, Lizzie, are you sure that you don't want to go to Florida with me, I'll wait till they release you?" Her aunt appealed.

"No, I think I should stay here." Liz said as she looked at Max.

"Fine, but I want you to know that I will be calling every five hours." Her aunt told her.

"It's not my phone bill." Liz mumbled as her aunt walked out the door.

Max just sat watching Liz as she seemed to be dozing off. She seemed so peaceful. He almost wished that he could sit like this and watch her forever, but he knew he couldn't. He had to find the killer before anyone else was hurt. He slowly stood up in his chair and saw Isabel coming into the room.

"Go on, I'll watch her." Isabel whispered to him. "I won't take her on any field trips through her own head, scouts honor." Isabel held up the girl scout sign.

"You dropped out of the girl scouts." Max said plainly.

"It's not my fault they had ugly uniforms that didn't match my skin tones." Isabel said to him. "Now go, we'll be fine."

With reluctance he exited the room and left his sister and soul mate alone.

* * *

Isabel sat with her yearbook on her lap. Touching the picture of Liz, she closed her eyes and drifted off to Liz's dream. All of a sudden Isabel was on Liz's balcony and Liz was there crying, but she wasn't alone. Max was there, he looked different.

Max was saying something that she couldn't understand, she couldn't hear either of them. What surprised her most was how Max seemed so old, he looked like he had weathered a thousand storms, and yet he looked like he was about to break down. Isabel leaned in closer to hear their conversation, maybe this would be a clue as to why the murderer was after Liz.

"I came here from fourteen years in the future." Isabel could see and hear that that was not what he was saying, but it was rather a voiceover.

As soon as the voice appeared she was no longer on Liz's balcony anymore, she was now in Liz's room. Liz was standing in the middle of her bed yelling at this strange looking Max. Max was trying to get her to stop panicking, she could tell by his actions.

"You're not letting yourself change." Isabel heard and then saw a rush of images, ones she didn't understand. She saw Liz crying, Max's hand start to disappear, Liz telling Max that she did not want to die for him, and many other things. "Just 25 minutes before I came here, I held Michael in my arms...dead. Isabel died 2 weeks before that. Now you have to do this. You have to find a way. All of our lives depend on it."

"How? What can I do that's gonna make you turn away from me?" Liz answered him and then Isabel was transported to a different time.

It was the night of the Gomez concert.

"Yeah. Um, Kyle, look...I just wanna make sure that I...I...I made it actually clear that we're not gonna…"

"Consummate. I understand." Kyle finished.

Isabel then saw the two in bed and Max at Liz's window. The tickets fell out of his hand and he walked away, broken. Isabel noticed how Liz also looked broken, like someone just took out her heart and stomped on it a couple times before putting it in the blender.

She was then taken to a rainy night at the Crashdown. Liz was crying and looking through pictures of Alex and the group. Isabel knew why she was crying, she had lost Alex too. All of a sudden Liz was now running into her house with her folder in hand. She relived the brief conversation she had with her parents and followed her into her room. There Isabel saw her place the folder in her wall, right above her journal. That was it! The folder was in the wall.

* * *

Max sat in the cafeteria chair munching on one of the soggy sandwiches that they served. He understood why Liz never wanted to eat. He watched as people filtered in and out of the busy building and wondered if he would ever find out what really happened to Alex. He didn't want to believe that an alien killed him and Liz's parents, but after everything had happened recently he found it hard not too. This was his fault and he would never be able to wipe away the look that Liz gave him when he told her.

He didn't want to lose her no matter how much they fought. She was his soul mate and someone took away her family, he was suppose to get angry. Even though they weren't together anymore he would still protect her, till his dying day.

* * *

Liz woke up and looked around her empty room, she didn't remember where she was or why she was here. It seemed so familiar but strange at the same time, but then it all came back to her. Her parents, Alex, everything. It was as if a giant anvil had been dropped on top of her, all the air left her lungs and her stomach hurt painfully. She didn't notice how the heart monitor kept its steady rhythm, all she knew was that she was alone.

The darkness of the room swept over her and she suddenly felt cold.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness but my muse is on vacation. I'll try to get another part up before I join my muse in sunny Florida!! **R&R!!**


	8. Things You Did

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Part 8: Things You Did

Isabel slowly climbed into Liz's room through her window. She would never understand why Max would want to climb through that small excuse for a window. She flipped on her flashlight and made her way across the room. The light danced among the walls and finally hit the wall in which the folder lay. She pulled on each brick till she found the one that opened. She pulled it out and showed the light in the small crevice. Nothing. That was impossible, the folder was suppose to be right there.

Isabel put her hand in the hole and felt around, nothing but dust. Crap! The folder was gone.

* * *

Max entered Liz's room and panicked. Liz wasn't there, she should be lying in that bed. Max spun around and frantically searched everywhere to see if there was some sort of clue that told him where she was taken. He ran to the bathroom in her room and it was empty. When he was finally ready to pull his hair out he saw a nurse accompanying Liz back to her room. She was walking.

"Hey you." She said with a smile as she wobbled into the room.

"Hey." He said almost speechlessly.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, you ok?" She asked him.

The nurse settled Liz in her bed and then turned to leave.

"I was so scared. I came into your room and it was empty." He admitted to her.

"I'm sorry Max, I didn't think that you'd be stopping by today." Liz said with a smile.

"It's my fault, I uhh…I should've called or something." He paused to look around. "You were walking, that's great." He said, genuinely excited for her.

"Yeah. From being in the comma by leg muscles really didn't want to support my weight. It was great to walk again." Liz smiled.

He smiled at her and took her hand. Just then Isabel, Michael, Maria, and Kyle burst into the room.

"We have a problem." Isabel said.

* * *

How could some puny human get this close to finding out the truth? They were sure that they covered their tracks well enough. How could this have happened? A figure dressed in all black looked over the folder before tossing it into the fire that they started just for this purpose. They had to be careful, the wrong move could cost them it all. The figure started to walk away, leaving the paper crumple in the blaze of the fire.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"I dream walked Liz." Isabel started and saw how her brother was going to interrupt her but continued. "I wanted to find out where the folder was, and I did. I went to Liz's house to get the folder but it was gone. Max, someone knew about it and took it."

"Who would know though? We haven't really talked about it." Kyle said from the couch.

"Someone must have found out. But how?" Michael said from his seat next to Kyle.

"You guys are all saying that I knew where this folder was, but I don't remember. Isabel went inside my head and she found out. Could it be possible that whoever killed Alex and my parents went inside my head and found out the same way?" Liz asked.

"Possibly, but who would be able to get in here without us knowing?" Max said.

"I don't know, guys we are having a serious problem here. How are we suppose to protect Liz?" Isabel asked.

"It's gonna be hard when she's here because now that Liz isn't deathly ill the hospital staff doesn't like us hanging around after visiting hours. Once Liz gets home we can definitely watch her better." Maria told them all.

"Hello, still in the room." Liz said, trying to get their attention.

"It's getting late, we better get going. Lizzie, you call us if you need anything. Tomorrow we plan!" Maria said, kissing Liz's forehead before leaving, dragging Michael with her.

"I'll wait in the jeep." Isabel told Max as she and Kyle left the room.

"You ok?" He asked her.

"Oh, you're actually acknowledging that I'm in the room?" Liz said sarcastically. "I'm just peachy."

"I'll stay if you want me too." He offered.

"No, I am going to be just fine. Now, go and take Isabel home. We can talk tomorrow." Liz said before he walked out of the room. "There will be plenty of time to talk tomorrow." She said to the empty room

A/N: Hope you all liked this last chapter. I'm really struggling to get this story finished. Maybe a little positive feedback would help. **R&R!!**


	9. Memories Never Fall

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Part 9: Memories Never Fall

Liz watched as her aunt cleaned out her hospital room.

"Do we have everything?" She asked Liz.

"I think so, I didn't really bring a lot with me." Liz told her.

"Ok, then we're set." Kelly said before taking her spot behind Liz's wheelchair. "Just so we're clear on one thing, why didn't you tell your friends that you were checking out today?"

"Because, they would be here helping me leave, then they would magically appear at the house with flowers, cake, and a big banner that said 'Welcome Home Liz' and I'm just not ready for that." Liz told her aunt honestly.

"OK, well, you will have to call them because they do stop by here an awful lot."

"I will, just let me get settled at home first." Liz told her.

Kelly wheeled Liz out of the hospital and into the parking lot where Liz got up and sat down in the car. They drove home in silence, neither one daring to say a word. When they reached the Crashdown Liz got of the car slowly. Suddenly she didn't know if she could do this.

"You ok?" Her aunt asked. "We can drive around for a little bit."

"No." Liz stated firmly. "I…I have to do this."

They then proceeded to walk into the apartment. Everything inside was like another stab in the heart for Liz. It had been cleaned, probably by Maria or Isabel or somebody. There was no longer happiness in the air, it now just seemed empty to Liz. Kelly put her bags down on the floor and looked at Liz who seemed to be in a trance.

"If you want to take a look around before I take your parents room go ahead. I'm gonna go check on everything downstairs." Kelly said before taking one last look at Liz and then going down the stairs.

Liz did just that. She looked, and touched, at everything. When she reached her parents room it was as if they were still alive, but they weren't. Liz couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pain creep up her and she curled up into a little ball on her parents bed. She missed them.

* * *

"Ok, so we all agreed on the shifts that we set at lunch." Maria said as the group stepped out of the elevator.

"Yep, now let's go see Liz." Isabel said once they reached her door.

Max was the first to enter and noticed that Liz wasn't there, neither were her cards or flowers. The bed was made nicely and it appeared that no one was in here in the first place.

"Do we have the right room?" Kyle asked.

A nurse was then walking by and saw the kids just standing there.

"You kids ok?" She asked.

"Umm…our friend was in this room, but now she's clearly not. Do you happen to know where she is? Her name's Liz Parker." Michael asked the nurse.

Something had to be wrong, Liz wouldn't have just left without telling them. She wouldn't want to worry them like that. The only thought that was running through their minds was that the killer came back and got her this time.

"Liz Parker checked out early this morning." The nurse came back and told them. They smiled and she walked away.

"Why wouldn't Liz call us?" Isabel asked. "I mean we've been here everyday with her."

"She probably just needed some time to settle in at home." Maria said. "Now that she's had some time let's go see her."

They each nodded and left the hospital for hopefully the last time.

* * *

Max was the one to knock on the door to the Parker's apartment and was the first to be greeted with the sight of Kelly.

"Oh, you're the boy I kicked out of Liz's hospital room. What do you want?" Kelly asked rudely.

"We wanted to see Liz." Maria said from behind him.

"Liz is asleep, you guys can come back later." Kelly said and then closed the door.

"That was odd." Isabel said, more to herself than anyone else.

"I told you, her aunt's a psycho." Max said to everyone.

"I didn't mean about her aunt, I meant about her sleeping. Liz usually needed a sedative to knock her out." Isabel said to the group.

"That is weird." Maria said.

"Well, let's go ponder this unusual discover downstairs. I'm hungry." Michael said as he led the way to the café.

"When are you not?" Maria said sarcastically.

* * *

Liz was running through a dark forest, it seemed so big and so lonely. She knew this place from somewhere but she couldn't place it. Heavy footsteps were following her and they were gaining on her. Liz looked down at her hands and saw red. Blood, it was her blood. Her stomach had a large gash but it didn't hurt. She had to get to Max, when she did she would be safe. Max would make everything better, he just had too. Liz felt her legs start to slow down, they felt all sticky and wet. She looked down and saw more blood. She was covered in blood. _"If you don't give up your search for your friend's killer you or your family might be next." _Sounded off in her head. Again and again. It was her fault. It was all her fault that her family was dead. It was all her fault.

"It's all my fault." Liz twisted in her parents bed. Pain coming in brief intervals.

Kelly came running into the room after she heard Liz scream. She didn't know what was wrong with Liz but the fact that she saw her parents die must have something to do with it.

"Come on Liz, sweetheart wake up." Kelly coaxed but Liz kept twisting and wriggling in pain.

"It's all my fault." Liz moaned.

"What's your fault sweetie?" Kelly asked desperately. Liz was not waking up. "Please Liz wake up."

Suddenly Liz's eyes shot open and Liz shot up into Kelly's waiting arms. Kelly held Liz as she sobbed. Liz couldn't stop now that she started. It was her fault that her parents died, wasn't it?

* * *

Late at night Liz still couldn't sleep. She didn't want to even try after her nightmare that afternoon. Things kept on plaguing her about her parents death. Every time she went to sleep it was like a new piece of the puzzle was revealed but nothing seemed to fit. It was killing her.

"Hey." A low gentle voice came from her window.

"Oh, Max. Hey." Liz said somewhat surprised.

"We heard you got out today." He said casually as he sat in her window.

"You want to come in?" Liz asked him. He smiled and made his way into her room.

"How ya doing?" He asked her seriously.

"Ok. I guess. I tried sleeping this afternoon." Liz said brightly but Max knew there was an underlying tone there somewhere.

"Did you have another nightmare?" He asked her softly.

Liz didn't answer, she just nodded.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked her simply. When she shook her head no he put his arm around her shoulder and she let her head lean on him. "You ok?" He asked her.

"No." She whispered while shaking her head.

"You want me to stay?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Liz nodded.

Max smiled at Liz and she tried to smile back.

After the two had gotten comfortable underneath the covers Max put his arms around Liz and she closed her eyes.

"We will find this guy right? The guy who killed my parents." Liz asked him.

"I'll find him and I'll make him pay. You can count on that." He whispered to her.

"Max, you're not a killer." Liz said in a low whisper.

"I'd kill for you."

**A/N:** Feedback is a vital importance to my writing so **R&R!!**


	10. Places That You Sleep

**__**

Part 10: Places That You Sleep

Liz opened her eyes to find that she actually felt well rested. She turned in her bed and found Max sleeping peacefully next to her. His arms were actually wrapped around her and he looked like a little boy. Max felt her weight shift and he opened his eyes to see Liz staring at him.

"You sleep ok?" He asked her before yawning.

"Yeah, actually that was the best I've slept in a long time. Thanks, you know, for staying."

"Don't mention it." He said while starting to stand up.

"My aunt is probably downstairs so you don't have to get all freaked out that she's gonna come in here and bust you." Liz told him with a smile.

"I wasn't worried about your aunt." Max claimed.

"She just wants to protect me." Liz said in her aunts defense.

"I know. It seems to be very common around here." Max said with a smile before crawling out the window. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Liz said as she watched him go. "Max…!" She yelled after him.

"What?" He asked amused.

After a long pause Liz spoke. "Nothing. I'll see you around." She smiled at him as he crawled down the ladder.

* * *

Liz watched as all the waitresses went about their business. It was hard to believe that her parents weren't here. Even now as she sat in the café it was hard. Things were different now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

"Hey girl, what are you doing down here?" Maria asked as she came to sit with her.

Liz noticed Michael walking behind Maria with a tray of food.

"I'm taking a break from doing nothing." Liz said with a smile.

"Cool, we're taking a break from doing something." Michael said as he sat next to Maria.

Liz looked back and forth from Michael to Maria.

"You're on guard duty aren't you?" Liz said as more of a statement than a question.

"Maxwell just wants to make sure that you are ok." Michael said as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"How was your first night home?" Maria asked, changing the subject.

"Rough." Liz said simply.

"You should have called me, I would have been over in a flash…" Maria rambled before Liz cut her off.

"Actually, Max was here." Liz said while looking at the table.

"Ooh, I see. You two have been getting pretty close lately." Maria said with a smirk.

"Ugh, listening to you two blabber isn't my idea of guard duty." Michael whined from his seat.

"Shut up Spaceboy, I need details." Maria said as she leaned over the table.

"He just held me last night while I tried to sleep. It was nothing, he was just being a good friend." Liz said as Michael started to walk away from the booth.

"I'll be in the back if I'm needed." He said before disappearing into the back room.

"Soo…" Maria inquired.

"I almost told him about Future Max." Liz blurted out.

"What?!" Maria almost screeched.

"He was leaving and I just thought of how much he had given up and he was still my friend after all I've put him through. I don't know. I didn't tell him though." Liz said as she put her head on the table.

"You need to sleep more." Maria said.

"Tell me about it, but I can't sleep without a sedative." Liz said before starting to stand up. "I need to go for a walk."

"Go ahead. I'll tell Spaceboy you went to get some air." Maria said.

Liz just smiled at her friend. Her only best friend left. It was hard to believe that she had started all of this just to find Alex's killer and what did she have to show for it? Nothing. She couldn't even remember if she had anything to show for it.

Liz walked up the familiar street till she reached a house that seemed so foreign now.

* * *

Max walked into his house after working all day at the UFO center. It was eight o'clock and he wanted to get over to Liz's so she could try and get some sleep. Who knew he would be the next best thing to a sedative? As he was about to walk up the stairs to his room the phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered it.

"Maxwell, we have a problem." Michael sounded off from the other end.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"Liz is missing. She went for a walk and she hasn't gotten back yet." Michael reported.

"When did she leave?" Max asked, scolding Michael would do no good now.

"About twelve this afternoon." Michael informed him.

Max immediately hung up the phone and ran to his room to change so he could go search for Liz. Where could she have gone? As Max flung his door open he found Liz lying on his bed. She was sleeping like a little child. Max felt the air in his lungs return and he could now breath easily. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her shoulder.

"Liz." He whispered to her.

"Five more minutes, please." She asked like a normal teen who didn't just loose their parents.

"Liz, it's Max." He whispered in her ear.

Liz immediately shot up and looked at Max.

"Max?!" She asked. When did she fall asleep, how long was she asleep, and why was she in Max's room?

"Sleep good?" He asked, amused.

"Yeah, actually." Liz admitted before pushing her hair off her face.

She started to stand up and walk towards the window but Max gently pulled her elbow back to him.

"You don't have to leave." He told her.

"I don't want to impose." She said simply before turning to the window.

"You wouldn't be. Please Liz." He asked her.

Liz turned around slowly before smiling at him.

"Want to go watch a movie or something?" He asked her.

She gently nodded and he led her out of his room and down the steps to the living room.

**A/N:** Sorry for the shortness, if anyone cares. I really hope you all liked this chapter, I'm trying to get back into the rhythm with this story so bear with me, and if you have any suggestions please tell me. I'm all ears or eyes as the case may be. **R&R!!**

_**Next Chapter:** Shadows_ -- Max and Tess have a little meeting in the Eraser Room, Liz starts to remember, and the gang finds out just how bad Liz's nightmares are.


	11. Shadows

**__**

Part 11: Shadows

"So, Liz and Max have been getting awfully close." Isabel noted from the table that she and Kyle shared at the Crashdown.

"Yeah. Tess doesn't really seem to mind. I haven't seen her in like forever." Kyle said as he ate a fry.

"I wonder what she's been up to." Isabel pondered.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Ok, so I have a gig tomorrow night and please say you're coming." Maria begged Liz as they stood at the pickup window.

"I'll have to check with my aunt." Liz said.

"Well, she'll probably say yes because she doesn't seem to mind you and Max having your nightly sleepovers." Maria said.

Liz immediately blushed and shushed her. "Please don't say that."

"Oh, right, she doesn't know that you and Max…"

"Maria, please. The only time I actually sleep is when he's there. Besides, you're like the only person who knows." Liz begged her friend.

"Hey, where's Max?" Michael asked Liz.

"Why would I know?" Liz asked him, confused.

"Well, you see him more than any of us." He shrugged before going back to work.

"Ladies, I'm trying to run a restaurant, talk on your own time." Kelly said as she came out of the back room.

Maria and Liz both giggled and went back to work.

* * *

"Hey Max." Tess walked up to Max in between classes at school.

"Hey, where've you been?" Max asked her.

"You know, a little this, a little that. Nothing big. Can we talk later?" She asked him.

"Yeah sure. How about Eraser room seventh period?" Max asked.

"Ok. See ya then." Tess said before walking away.

Max walked down the hall before running into Liz. It had been two weeks since they started their 'sleepovers' and they had grown rather accustomed to each other.

"Sorry." Liz said as she moved away from him.

"What's wrong?" Max asked, stopping her by grabbing her elbow.

"Nothing, I just have a killer history project." Liz fibbed.

Max knew more than to push, especially when Liz was clearly lying.

"Ok, maybe I can help you tonight." He suggested.

"I don't know. Uhh, see you later." Liz said before sprinting down the hall.

* * *

Max walked towards the eraser room door stealthily, he didn't want to be seen with Tess in the eraser room.

"Why didn't you tell him? Seriously, it's just a headache." Maria badgered Liz as they headed back to class from the bathroom.

"If he healed me he would have seen future Max and maybe even what happened that night. I can't take that risk." Liz told her convincingly.

"I'll never understand you." Maria sighed as they walked around the corner to see Max and Tess enter the eraser room.

Liz saw this and immediately turned on her heel and walked back to the bathroom.

"Liz…" Maria chased after her down the hall.

* * *

"You wanted to talk to me." Max said as he put his book bag down in the room.

"Umm, yeah. Max, I know things got hectic after Alex's accident, and Liz's parents, but I wanted to talk about our kiss." Tess told him innocently.

"Our kiss." Max said slowly, trying to remember when he kissed Tess.

"Yeah, remember, prom night. I'm glad it was god for you too." Tess said sarcastically.

"Oh." Max said in realization. "Tess, things are just…intense right now and then things were different."

"You're with Liz again, aren't you?"

****

* * *

"Lizzie, it's probably just a Czechoslovakian thing. We're probably just going to get dragged out of eighth period or something." Maria tried to convince her friend.

"Maria, I'm fine with it, really. Max and I aren't together so he can see whoever he wants to see." Liz said as she dug through her purse trying to find something.

"Liz…"

Maria's voice faded out as Liz picked up a pen, it had 'University of Las Cruces' written on it. She saw herself copying something down from a computer screen. She saw herself putting the paper into a folder then putting the pen in her purse. The folder. She remembered the folder.

"Are you even listening to me?" Maria asked as Liz came out of her trance.

"Maria, I just remembered." Liz said breathily. "I remember the folder.

****

* * *

"We're not together, but things could change and I don't want to do anything that could ruin that." Max said while looking down.

"You mean you don't want me to ruin that." Tess clarified.

"No Tess…"

"I understand." Tess said before picking up her purse and leaving the eraser room.

Max followed her but was met by Isabel.

"Emergency meeting after school at Michael's." She informed both him and Tess.

"What's going on?" Max asked.

"Liz is starting to remember."

* * *

Michael stood at his stove stirring a pot of tomato sauce.

"Is it ready yet?" Maria asked from her chair at the bar.

"Not since you asked me two minutes ago." Michael said to her.

"Where's Max? He should be here by now." Maria sighed.

Michael looked back over to the living room where Isabel and Kyle were watching TV and Liz was sleeping.

"Hey, look." He pointed to Liz with the wooden spoon.

"She's asleep. She didn't even need Max."

"Who didn't need me?" Max asked from the doorway.

"Liz, she's asleep." Maria said as she gave him a glare.

"What did I do?" Max asked as he took off his coat.

"How was the eraser room?" She asked him with sugar coated anger.

"You saw us?" He asked embarrassed.

"_We_ saw you, then Liz remembered." Maria said before turning in her chair.

"What exactly did she remember?" Max asked worriedly.

"The folder. That's all she would tell me." Maria told him.

Max nodded and looked over to where Liz was sleeping. All of a sudden Liz started moaning and twisting on the coach.

"Liz?" Maria asked as she went over.

Liz kept moaning and twisting.

"Liz, wake up, you're having a nightmare." Max urged from next to her.

"No!!" Liz yelled in a panic before crying.

"Get some cold water." Kyle suggested.

"Kyle, this is serious." Maria told him over Liz's moans.

"I am being serious."

Isabel and Michael walked over to the couch where everyone was now centered. Max touched Liz's shoulder and shook her a little bit. Everyone jumped back when Liz sat up straight on the couch fully drenched in sweat.

"Liz?" Maria asked.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault." Liz kept repeating as she held onto Max.

"Liz, what did you see?" Max whispered into her hair.

"It's all my fault." Liz sobbed.

Maria looked over at Isabel and Isabel looked back. She was dreaming about her parents.

A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter. I just finished this so as soon as I get enough feeback I will post more.** R&R!!**

_**Next Chapter:** Things You Never See_ -- Liz and Max have a little talk.


	12. Things You Never See

**__**

Part 12: Things You Never See

"You want some more water?" Isabel asked Liz as she gulped down another glass.

"I better say no or I'll be floating out of here." Liz tried to laugh.

"What were you dreaming about?" Michael asked her.

"Nothing important." Liz said meekly.

"Maybe it is, maybe in your dreams you hold the key to finding out who the murderer is." Isabel urged her.

"Just lay off, please." Liz said quietly.

"Guys, that's enough. Come on, I'm taking you home." Max said as he helped her stand up.

"I drove here in my aunt's car, I have to get it back to her." Liz said lamely as she walked to the door. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

The door to the apartment shut, leaving five concerned teenagers.

* * *

Liz walked out to her aunt's car to find none other than Sean Deluca sitting on it's hood.

"Hey Parker." He said to her. "I heard about your parents and I wanted to come by and tell you I was sorry."

"Isn't everyone." Liz muttered.

"What?" He asked when he didn't hear her comment.

"Nothing." Liz said as she opened up the door. "You want to go bowling?"

"What?" He asked, clearly amazed that she was asking him.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Get in the car." Liz ordered before Sean jumped off the hood and into the car.

Neither one of them saw the figure closely watching Liz drive away.

* * *

"Ok, I give up." Isabel threw her hands in the air.

"What?" Michael asked, confused by her comment.

"This apartment will never be clean." Isabel told him from her spot picking up the pillows that Liz had tossed during her nightmare.

Maria let out a little snicker before Kyle's cell phone interrupted them.

"Valenti here…ok, I'll tell them…see ya at home…bye." Kyle said into his phone before turning to the group. "Tess is stuck at the library so she won't be able to make our group meet, which we are no longer having." Kyle told them.

"We should get going, I have to get home so Liz isn't crawling into my room when my mom and dad are the only ones there." Max said as he picked up his keys.

"Kyle'll give me a ride home, I'll see you there." Isabel told him.

"All right, see you guys tomorrow." Max told them before leaving.

"How come he always gets out of cleanup duty?" Kyle asked, causing Isabel to through a pillow at his head.

* * *

"You know, Parker, you are something." Sean observed.

"Thank you." Liz said as she picked up a bowling ball and tossed it down the alley.

"You still suck." Sean told her. "Bend your knees."

Liz did so and tossed another bowling ball but it still went in the gutter.

"You know what? I'm sick of people giving me orders. Ever since my parents died it's been Liz don't do this, it's too dangerous Liz, stuff like that." Liz told him.

"Are you drunk?" Sean asked.

"It would seem that way wouldn't it." Liz shook her head.

"Come on, it's getting late, I should get you home." Sean said as he stood up.

* * *

Liz crawled into her dark room and flipped on a lamp on her desk to find Max sitting on her bed.

"Gees! Are you trying to scare me to death?!" Liz whispered to him.

"I could ask you the same thing." Max said dryly.

Liz moved around her room, nervously putting things away.

"Where were you? I was ready to call a search party."

"I was with Sean." Liz said without looking up.

"Oh…" Max trailed off.

"We went bowling. It's nice to have someone just to talk to." Liz said as she folded a pair of jeans.

"Isn't the bowling alley closed?" Max asked, clearly missing her point.

"It's not like I was making out with him in the eraser room." Liz pointed out.

"What?" Max asked, now clearly confused.

"Maria and I saw you, with Tess. You two were going into the eraser room." Liz explained.

"We just talked." Max told her.

"How many times did we go in the eraser room and just talked?" Liz pointed out to him. "I mean, I told you that it was ok that you were moving on. I meant that, and I still mean that."

"But I wasn't kissing Tess, honestly." Max told her.

"Listen tonight I'm gonna try to sleep on my own." Liz told him, still not looking at him.

"Like you slept on your own at Michael's?" He asked pointedly.

"That's not fair. I had a nightmare, everyone has them."

"Not every night. Not to the point where everyone needs to take a sedative just so they can make it through the night." Max said as she tried to walk away from him.

"Leave, now." Liz said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No. I'm going to protect you."

"Protect me from what?! You? Because right now you are the only thing I need protecting from." Liz said.

She immediately regretted her comment after a look of hurt crossed Max's face. He quickly covered it.

"Max, I'm sorry." Liz said but Max cut her off.

"It's ok. Really, you're probably right." Max gave her a half hearted smile before crossing to her window.

"I never meant it." Liz said from her spot next to the window.

"Yeah, you did."

As he was crawling out the window Liz grabbed his arm. He looked up at where she was standing, her eyes still on the carpet. She looked up at Max hesitantly before moving a step closer. Max instinctively took a step closer to her. Soon they were leaning into each other, their faces were so close that Liz could swear that their breathing was even in tune.

Max gently took Liz's chin and leant it up before staring into her brown eyes. He knew what he wanted, he knew what she wanted, they just had to go for it. Max bent down and soon the two were engulfed in a passionate kiss. Liz didn't know how long they were wrapped in each others arms.

It was morning before she realized that she and Max had fallen asleep just kissing. It was the first time since Alex died that she didn't regret waking up in the morning. Just the safe feeling of Max's strong arms made her want to stay there forever. But that wasn't possible, not anymore. She couldn't get attached to Max again, every time she did her heart got broken. This would be good for both of them, she had to be strong.

She had to say goodbye.

**A/N:** Hello all! I hope you liked the new chapter. I know it's kind of short but the next chapter is longer. Please **R&R!!**

_**The Next Chapter:** I Think It Wants To Bleed_ -- Tess helps Liz retrieve some of her lost memories, the gang gets a lead suspect, and the killer strikes again.


	13. Think It Wants To Bleed

**__**

Part 13: Think It Wants To Bleed

Maria busied herself by doing different tasks around the café. For some reason Maria felt anxious, very anxious.

"Hey." Liz snuck up behind her.

"Don't do that." Maria ordered as she held her hand to her heart.

"You seem jumpy." Liz observed before taking a seat at the counter.

"Why aren't you working?" Maria asked while wiping off a napkin dispenser.

"I had this really bad headache and Aunt Kelly wouldn't let me." Liz told her.

"Yeah you really look like you have a headache." Maria said sarcastically but with a smile.

"No, seriously. I couldn't even get out of bed this morning." Liz defended herself.

"You've been getting a lot of headaches lately. When did it start?"

"Just an hour after Max left this morning." Liz told Maria while staring at the counter.

"Oh there's nothing for you to be ashamed of, we all know he's been spending his nights with you. It's not like anything happened." Maria said certainly.

"Umm…" Liz tried to tell her.

"Something did happen?" Maria asked and got Liz's nod for an answer. "You two didn't, you know…" Maria let her sentence trail off in hopes that Liz would get it.

"No, no, no , no." Liz waved her hands at Maria to dismiss the thought. "We just kissed."

"Liz…"

"I know, things won't go any further. I know my place." Liz said.

"Honey, I hate to see you like this. It's not fair that you're not allowed to be with Max." Maria said comfortingly. "Ooh, incoming."

Liz looked over to the doors and saw a smiling Tess.

"Liz, how are you?" She said as she made her way over to Liz.

"Good, how are you Tess?" Liz asked.

"I'm doing fine. Listen, I know you're having trouble remembering things and I was wondering if you wanted my help. I could help you like I was helping Max." Tess offered.

"Umm, ok." Liz shrugged.

"You want to start now? I've got some free time." Tess offered with a smile.

Liz looked over to where Maria was eavesdropping.

"Sure. We can go upstairs, my aunt went to Hondo today."

Tess nodded and jumped off her stool to follow Liz.

* * *

"Ok, just let your mind blank out." Tess told her. They were sitting on Liz's bed, holding each other's hands. "Take deep breaths, focus."

Liz did so and found herself engulfed in flashes. She zoomed past everything that had happened in the past two years. Tess also saw these things, she felt Liz's feelings. Liz saw right up until Alex's funeral and then everything changed.

* * *

"Hey where's Liz?" Max asked as he, Michael, and Isabel walked into the café.

"Upstairs, remembering with queen Barbie." Maria said before going back to her job.

Max walked into the backroom and then up the steps. He knocked on the door, knowing that Kelly wouldn't like it if he just marched right in there. When no one answered he placed his hand on the lock and opened the door. Max walked through the Parker's living room and soon found the two girls in Liz's room. Liz was sitting Indian style on her bed with her eyes closed. Tess's eye's were closed also, but she had her hands on Liz's forehead.

"What's going on?" Max announced himself. Both girls' eyes shot open.

"Max! What are you doing here?" Tess asked nervously.

"I came to see Liz. What are you doing here?" He asked, his anger going up a notch.

"She was helping me remember some stuff." Liz told him.

"Did you?" He asked, ignoring the fact that Tess was still in the room.

"A little, not much. It's all still fuzzy." Liz told him.

"That's why you have to keep using these techniques. They'll help you remember." Tess smiled at her. "I can come over tomorrow and we can do it again if you like."

"That would be great." Liz gave her a half hearted smile.

"I should really be going." Tess said while jumping off of Liz's bed.

"Why don't you go with her Max?" Liz suggested.

"Liz…"

"Go ahead. I'm fine here." Liz told him.

He looked down at Tess who was smiling. Something about this whole situation didn't feel right. He would send in his spy later to get more information. He nodded before following Tess out of the apartment.

Once he left Liz slumped over on her bed with a sigh. Her headache was back.

* * *

"I can't believe that. Liz hates Tess." Maria objected to Max's claim.

"It's true. They were acting like they were almost friends." Max told the others.

They were all situated at Michael's apartment. After Max called an emergency meeting they all came here. Liz was absent seeing as how the meeting was about her.

"What's wrong with them being friends? Tess never had any real friends besides us, it's good that she's trying to be nice." Isabel defended her.

"It's not just the fact of being friends, it's the fact of Tess being nice to the person whom she hated the most since she got here." Michael agreed with Max and Maria.

"I still don't believe you guys. You are all searching for someone to blame Alex's death on, Tess wasn't even Liz's prime suspect." Isabel yelled at them.

"Maybe she was. We weren't very receptive to her when she was hunting down the killer. We basically ignored her, but what if Tess _was_ Liz's prime suspect, even more of a reason to get closer to her. We have no clue what Tess can do with her powers." Michael yelled back at her.

"Tess isn't a killer ok. Stop looking for a scapegoat!" Isabel yelled.

"She was raised by Nasedo, that has to count for something." Maria pointed out.

"I'm with Isabel. I mean I share my house with her, she's practically like my sister. There's no way she could be a murderer." Kyle defended her.

Max was about to add his comments when the phone rang.

"This conversation is not over." Michael said before picking up the phone. "Guerin, if you're looking for your children, I have two Evans', one Deluca, and one Valenti." Michael said in one breath.

"Michael, it's Kelly. Listen, can you and Maria come into the café." Kelly sounded weird over the phone.

"Yeah, no problem. What's wrong?" He asked.

"I have to take Liz to the hospital." Kelly said before sniffling.

"We're on our way." Michael told her before hanging up. "We're going." He told the group before grabbing his coat.

* * *

When they all arrived they saw Valenti, Ms. Deluca, Kelly, and Tess all sitting in the waiting room.

"What's going on?" Maria asked her mother when they reached the adults.

"Someone attacked Liz." Kelly said while walking over to the kids. "I thought I asked you two to watch the café."

"Yeah, you see there's this little thing called a 'Closed' sign, works wonders." Michael said.

"Yeah, now get to the part about Liz being attacked." Maria put in.

"She was taking the trash out, I don't know how long she was out there for, but I heard her scream. I ran out to find her lying on the ground unconscious." Kelly told them.

Max walked over to where Valenti was sitting with Tess.

"What happened?" He asked the older man.

"Hanson told me that they found a knife underneath the garbage dumpster. Seems that the guy got scared when Liz screamed and ran off. Pretty chicken to be a murderer." Valenti said.

"You think this was a setup?"

"I don't know. We'll know more when Liz wakes up." He told Max.

"How'd you get here before the rest of us?" Max asked Tess suspiciously.

"She and I were coming home from grocery shopping when I saw the ambulance pull up outside the Crashdown." Valenti unknowingly provided her alibi.

Max nodded.

"I didn't hurt Liz, if that's what you're thinking." Tess told him. She knew that look in his eyes meant something.

"That's not what I'm thinking, but that's good to know." Max told her before walking back over to where everyone sat.

"She got an alibi?" Michael asked Max, while nodding his head to her.

"She was with Valenti, grocery shopping." Max informed him.

"Well, there goes_ that_ theory." Maria rolled her eyes.

"Would you guys give it a rest. Tess wouldn't hurt Liz, sure they've had their differences but do you think that Tess would risk her standing in the group by trying to kill one of us?" Isabel whispered to them.

"Two of us." Maria corrected her. "If she was the murderer that would mean that she had already killed, Alex. Liz would be like swatting a fly."

"Maria." Kyle scolded. 

"What? I love that girl like she were my own sister but we all have to agree that Liz is not the most physically strong of all of us."

"Let's just drop this for now. Let's just make sure that nothing happens." Max told them, convening their private discussion.

* * *

Liz lay awake in her hospital bed, man did she hate the hospital.

"Elizabeth, how are we feeling?" The doctor came in and asked her.

"We're feeling just fine, so can I go home now?" She asked.

"I don't see why that's a problem, but first there are a couple people who want to talk to you." He told her before opening up the door.

Sheriff Hanson stepped in with one of his deputies.

"Miss Parker, how are feeling?"

"I'm feeling just fine, I would feel even better if I could go home." Liz told him sweetly.

"Well, we've told your aunt that as soon as we get your statement on what happened you can go." Hanson told her. "Now, your aunt tells us that you were taking out the trash when she heard you scream. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is. I had just thrown the bag of garbage over into the dumpster when someone grabbed me from behind."

"Is that when you screamed?"

"No, they put their hand over my mouth." Liz told him.

"What happened next?"

"He pulled out a knife and held it to my throat."

"Did he say anything to you?"

_"I told you to stop looking and what did you do, you got your parents killed. I killed your parents and you send your friends after me. Not a smart move Liz. Not smart at all."_

"No."

"Ok, what happened next?"

"I bit his hand, and he jumped back."

"Ok, then what?"

"Do I really have to talk about this?" Liz asked.

"It helps to talk Liz, and the more you tell us, the faster this guy gets put away." Hanson told her honestly.

"He umm, he grabbed my head and banged it against the wall. Uhh, he uh, kicked me in the side." Liz said, not looking at Hanson. "Then he pulled the knife again and was going to stab me."

"Is that when you screamed?"

"Yeah. I don't know why he was scared, but he was. He threw the knife and ran away."

"Liz, what did he look like?" Hanson asked.

"I don't know." Liz said tearfully.

"Was he tall, was he short, was he fat, thin? Try and give us a description."

"I don't remember."

* * *

Hanson and his deputy walked out to the waiting room, but as soon as Kelly saw them she walked to Liz's room. Valenti walked over to Hanson and the kids could see them whispering. Then Hanson just walked away.

"What happened?" Maria asked.

"Some guy jumped Liz in the ally, but Liz doesn't remember a lot." Valenti told them.

"How could she not remember someone jumping her? That seems pretty unforgettable to me." Tess asked.

"Well, Liz has been through a lot. It's normal for victims to automatically just forget what happened to them. It's kind of like a defense mechanism." Valenti told them.

"Am I the only one who thinks that this doesn't make sense?" Maria asked but just got blank stares in return.

"Care to elaborate?" Isabel asked.

"Think about it. When Mr. And Mrs. Parker were brought in the reports said that there was a silver handprint on them. If the murderer is an alien why'd he use a knife this time?" She asked.

"Let's not discuss this here. We'll talk about this tomorrow." Valenti told them as they all walked out of the hospital and into their separate cars.

**A/N:** Hope you all liked it.** R&R!! **

_**The Next Chapter: **Darkest Little Lies_ -- Liz starts to remember more while out with Sean and the murderer is revealed. Only 2 more chapters left!!


	14. Darkest Little Lies

**__**

Part 14: Darkest Little Lies

Liz opened her front door to find none other than Sean Deluca waiting on the other side.

"Hey." Liz greeted him.

"I heard about the…"

"Attack." Liz finished for him.

"Yeah, Maria told me. You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, it also helps that I don't remember that much." Liz smiled briefly. "You want to come in?"

"Actually I wanted to see if you would want to go out. I hear there's this really nice restaurant in Las Cuces."

"Las Cruces? That's a pretty long drive." Liz told him with a grin.

"Yeah but the food is to die for." He said with his hands folded.

"Let me grab my coat." Liz folded.

* * *

Sean led Liz out of the restaurant in which they ate.

"See, I told you so." He said to her.

"Yeah, I guess you were right." Liz smiled at him.

She was actually enjoying Sean's presence, but another headache started. As they were walking back to the car Liz looked over to see a very familiar building, but she didn't know why she knew it.

"You want to go in?" Sean asked her.

"Umm, ok." Liz replied.

"I saw that look in your eye. Maria gets it each time we watch MTV." Sean told her as they walked into the Litvack Building.

"So what is this, some big computer?" Sean asked one of the guys typing on it.

"It's for cryptology." Liz said from out of the blue.

_"Is there any way of finding out what he was doing?" Liz asked a professor._

_"Maybe, I'm not sure if we can penetrate." He told Liz._

_"Wanna try?" Liz asked._

"How'd you know that?" Sean asked her.

"I'm not sure." Liz told him. Her face was full of confusion.

_"Pretty strange looking stuff. It's some sort of language. Looks kind of Native American." The professor told her as they both looked at the strange symbols on the computer screen._

_"Was he translating this into English?"_

_"I think so, but he deleted all the results." The professor told her._

"Come on, let's get out of here." Sean said while half dragging Liz out of the building. "What was that in there? You kinda zoned out."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Liz lied.

"Liz, I know you, and lately you've been acting really weird." Sean told her as they got into the car.

"Listen, Sean, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell Maria about what happened in there, let it just be our little secret." Liz's eyes were begging him.

"All right, but Parker, one day you will tell me what's going on." He told her as they sped away from the campus.

* * *

"Where could she be? We've tried everywhere." Maria said frantically as she paced Michael's small apartment.

"Should we try Kelly again?" Isabel asked.

"I'm telling you, the murderer came back and got her. We're too late."

"Maria, quit the pacing, you are making me very nervous." Kyle said from his spot on the couch next to Isabel. His head was in his hands and he looked whiter than a ghost.

"Maybe we should try her cell again." Maria suggested before Michael's phone rang.

"Hello?" Michael asked into the receiver.

"Michael, it's Kelly, is Liz there?" Kelly asked.

"Um, no she's not." Michael told her, he couldn't lie when he didn't even know where Liz was.

"If you see her, tell her that when she gets home we are going to have a very long…" Kelly trailed off. "Where have you been? I was worried sick about you."

"Liz is home." Michael whispered to everyone.

"I was out." He could hear Liz's voice faintly.

"Where do you think you're going? Get back here young lady." Kelly ordered Liz.

"You're not my mother, you can't give me orders." Michael winced at Liz's words.

"And she's pissed." He informed the group.

"I am not your mother but you will give me the same respect. Did you go off for days on end with your parents around? I think not, so just because I am not them does not mean that you can treat me like someone who doesn't matter."

"Something tells me that our alien field trips aren't going to fly to well with Kelly." Michael whispered.

"Michael, I'm sorry for bothering you." Kelly said before hanging up.

"Is she home?" Maria asked nervously.

"Yes."

"Good, I can go kick her ass." Maria said before walking out of the apartment.

* * *

She saw it again, the sheets of paper with writing on them. They seemed so far away, she couldn't figure them out. There it was again, she saw the letters.

_I can't take this anymore. Leanna is not Leanna, Ray is not Ray. I'm loosing my mind. Why did she take my mind?_

Alex wrote those words and for some reason they kept flashing in Liz's head. She kept seeing these things that didn't make sense.

"Liz? You ok?" A small voice asked from Liz's window.

"Tess? Umm, yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing here?" Liz asked Tess.

"We scheduled for some more memory retrieval sessions, remember." Tess asked Liz.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Come on in."

Tess smiled at Liz and jumped into her room. Liz was sitting on her bed with a notebook and pencil on her lap. She read the writing to herself and saw what was happening.

"You ready?" Tess asked Liz.

"Yeah." Liz said absently.

* * *

Isabel knocked hesitantly on Max's bedroom door. He was listening to the Counting Crows so he was depressed, she knew that much. She also knew that he was depressed because Liz was avoiding him. Isabel opened the door and found him lying on his bed just staring at the ceiling. Why did those two have to keep on doing this to each other?

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Max told her without looking at her.

"Is this about Liz?" Isabel asked when clearly it was.

Max just looked up at her. Those two had been through so much it was hard to believe that they were actually still standing. First with Tess, then with destiny, then with that long haired Max (the fashionably challenged one) and now with the whole murder mystery. Wait, did Max even know about fashionably challenged Max?

"Max, can I ask you something?" Isabel asked him carefully.

"Sure." He said, still staring at his ceiling.

"Have you ever played with your powers?" She asked him.

"What do you mean 'played'? I've experimented with them, gotten to a point where I know how to use them. Why?"

"It's just, I was wondering if you ever changed your appearance to look different, you know, long hair, beard, and some gray hairs." Isabel hinted.

"No." Max smirked, himself with long hair and a beard was not something he wanted on himself.

"How do you feel about Leather?" Isabel asked him.

"What is this, a formal inquiry? Why all the stupid questions?" Max asked, he was actually smiling.

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering."

"Ok." Max said before resuming his stare at the ceiling.

"Max, that night when I dream walked Liz to find the folder I saw something. I saw you with long hair, beard, gray hairs, wearing leather. You were telling her to push you away. Then you, younger you, were watching her and Kyle talk. I am so confused. First her dreams are boring, and now you need a manual to keep up with them." Isabel spat out all at once.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked her confused. He seriously thought that she had lost her mind.

* * *

"Ok, just concentrate, breath deeply." Tess ordered Liz.

Then it hit her. A flash slammed into her body causing her to jump at seeing the images. Alex was in Las Cruces, Liz was going through his room and finding Thai food receipts. Alex was typing at his computer, Liz was searching through it and finding the message Leanna is not Leanna. Alex sitting at a computer at Las Cruces, Liz sitting next to a professor at a computer at Las Cruces. Tess holding Alex's head before he fell to the ground, Tess holding Liz's head.

Liz jumped out of Tess's reach.

"Liz, what's wrong?" Tess asked, clearly confused.

"You…you killed Alex." Liz said, keeping her voice low. "You…you killed my parents."

"I was hoping that you didn't see that." Tess admitted reluctantly. "I was only trying to scare you Liz, you needed to stop looking. I needed to make you stop looking."

* * *

"Liz didn't sleep with Kyle." Isabel said clearly.

"How do you know?" Max asked uncertainly.

"Because I saw it. They were just laying in bed, Max she never betrayed you."

* * *

"So why did you kill them?" Liz asked her as she backed away from the slowly moving Tess.

"They came into the room. It was only suppose to be a mind warp, I didn't want to kill them." Tess told Liz regretfully.

"All this time, you said you were helping me remember, when all you've been trying to do is make me forget." Liz said as she found herself cornered.

"You couldn't tell the others what I did, they would hate me. Alex's brain was just so weakened."

"You've been mind warping me on a regular basis, my brain can't be far behind his. Why do you keep on doing this if all it does is kill people?"

"Because no one can know. I'm sorry Liz, but you can't remember any of this." Tess said as she closed her eyes and touched Liz's head. Liz tried to jerk away but Tess kept her hands on both sides of Liz's.

"No, Tess stop!" Liz commanded before she fell to the ground, exactly like Alex did.

* * *

"I have to go see her." Max said as he sat up.

"Max, she doesn't even know that I know." Isabel told him as he ran out of his room. "She might just push you away more."

* * *

((((Max ran out of his house and into the jeep. Things seemed to be moving in slow motion now that he needed them to move fast.

* * *

Liz lay unmoving on her floor. Tess stood above her, a car accident would be too suspicious. She had to do something with the body.

* * *

The jeeps tires squealed through out the town of Roswell as Max raced over to Liz's. He had to see her, to tell her that it was going to be ok. All those times she had pushed him away, it was because she had too, not because she wanted too.

* * *

Tess lay Liz on her bed. She walked slowly over to Liz's dresser where the bottle of sleeping pills were being kept. She carefully opened the bottle and spilt a couple near Liz. Standing back to admire her work, she realized for the first time that she didn't want to be a killer.

* * *

The jeep stalled. Why was this happening tonight? He had to get to Liz, he just had to. He jumped out of the jeep and ran to the front where he popped the hood. Placing his hand over the engine he quickly fixed it. The jeep started up again and he ran into his position in the drivers seat before driving again. He had to call her. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number that was programmed into his brain. Her answering machine picked up.

* * *

"Liz, it's Max, listen I'm on my way over, we really need to talk. I love you." Tess heard the message and wiped a tear away from her eye.

Why was she feeling emotion, she wasn't suppose too? Nasedo raised her not to feel. She looked over her shoulder at Liz. It wasn't fair, but it had to happen. It was herself or Liz, she chose herself. Tess crawled through the window one last time before glancing back at Liz.

* * *

Max crawled up the fire escape which seemed to last forever. When he finally made it to the top he let out a sigh of relief when her window came into view. She was in her room, he saw her lying on her bed. He had never been more relieved in his life.

He crawled through the window with a big smile on his face, but the smile faded when he looked at her. She wasn't breathing.

"Liz?" He whispered, hoping she was just sleeping. She had to just be sleeping.

Max walked over to her bed where he saw the pills, No, Liz would not do that to herself.

"Liz?" He whispered again. She had to wake up. "Liz please." He said before placing a hand to her forehead.

The images ran through his mind at lightning speed. It was Tess. Tess was the murderer, and they had let her get to Liz. Max cried as he pulled Liz's limp body to him. It wasn't fair, he loved her. Why was she taken from him? Why? Max looked down at Liz one last time.

"Max?" Liz whispered.

He felt all the air being sucked out of him. Not that he was complaining, but she was dead. He looked her over and saw where his left hand rested. It was glowing, he had healed her without even knowing it. As a delayed reaction flashes entered his mind. He couldn't believe it.

"Oh God Liz."

"Max, what happened? Why are you so sad?" Liz and Max were a mess of tears. Liz was confused and Max was just happy to see her alive.

"You're ok, you're ok." He repeated to himself. "I love you Liz."

**A/N:** Hope you all liked this chapter. Just so you know I wrote this chapter while I was listening to Fisher's I Will Love You. If you listen to the song where I have the little (('s it'll fit. **R&R!!**

_**The Next Chapter: **Pray Your Soul To Keep_ -- A decision must be made about Tess and Liz makes a decision about her life, leaving you shocked at the end.


	15. Pray Your Soul To Keep

**__**

Part 15: Pray Your Soul to Keep

Isabel paced Michael's apartment back and forth, back and forth. Michael sat at the bar while Kyle was playing play station and Maria was sniffing some of her oils in the kitchen. No one had heard from Max since he went to see Liz, no one knew what was happening. It was really starting to freak them out.

Michael picked up his cordless phone and dialed Max's cell but only got voicemail. What the hell was going on over there?

* * *

Max held Liz cradled in his arms as she took deep breaths.

"What happened?" She asked him again. Why was he crying? Why was she on the floor? What happened?

"I found you, Liz, you were…you were dead." He told her. Her eyes widened and he felt her heart start to beat faster.

"Did you heal me?" Liz asked him hesitantly.

"I guess, I think so… Liz I saw things." He admitted reluctantly.

"What did you see?" She asked as she began to sit up. He looked down at the floor, how could he tell her something like this? It would break her heart. "Max, what did you see?"

"I saw Tess. She…she killed Alex." Max told her.

"If she killed Alex that would mean…" Liz trailed off before putting a hand to her mouth and running to her bathroom.

Max sat there and stared at the floor while he listened to the door slam. How could Tess be so cold blooded? How could she kill people? Max heard her vomiting coming from the bathroom and he stood up to check on her. He knocked on the door but got no answer. He slowly turned the knob and walked in to find Liz crouched on the floor over the toilet.

Max grabbed a washcloth and wetted it under the faucet before dabbing her forehead.

"Liz?" He asked, he knew she wasn't all right so why would he ask that?

"I saw it all Max. Tess, she came over to help me remember. I did and she mind warped me to forget. I thought she was just helping me." Liz said sadly. "Tonight, she, she came over to help me remember more, when I did she tried to mind warp me but I just got so cold. I was dead." Liz said as she turned to face him. Her tears were running down her cheeks as she told him. Her face was pale and white. "The other night in the alley, I remembered more, Tess mind warped me to forget. She needed to make everyone think that it wasn't her who was after me so she staged the whole thing. She made me think I was being attacked. Max she used me, she used Alex." Liz cried into Max's shoulder.

"Liz, we'll stop her, we will." Max told her as he stroked her hair.

* * *

Michael put his coat on as the front door to his apartment swung open to reveal Max and a shaking Liz.

"Liz." Maria practically screamed before running to her friend.

Liz collapsed into tears on Maria's shoulder.

"What happened?" Isabel asked nervously.

"It was Tess." Max told them. "She killed Alex, she killed Liz's parents, and she killed Liz."

"Um, not to burst your bubble or anything Maxwell, but Liz is alive." Michael pointed out to Max as he, Isabel, and Kyle looked into the living room at Liz and Maria.

"She was dead when I got to Liz's apartment. If I was just one second later…" Max said as he balled his fist.

Isabel shook her head. "Why would Tess kill Alex?"

"Because he broke out of the mind warp, the same way as me. She killed us so we wouldn't tell you guys." Liz cried.

"I don't…"Isabel started to say but was cut off by Michael's hand, telling her to be quiet.

"Liz, do you want something to drink?" He asked her.

"Ok." Liz said through shaky breaths.

Michael nodded and opened his refrigerator. Max stood against the counter trying to hold himself up. Kyle had his head in his hands while Isabel just looked towards the window. How could she betray them like this? What were they going to do?

"I say we kill her." Maria voiced her opinion.

"Maria…"

"No, the bitch deserves to see what dieing feels like. She caused so much death, it's only right that she get a little taste of her own medicine." Maria told them all.

"It's not up to us." Max said finally. "She may have betrayed us, she killed Alex and we won't forgive her for that, but you're all forgetting that she killed Liz's parents and she tried to kill Liz numerous times. If anything, it's Liz's decision."

"Liz, what do you say?" Maria asked her friend.

Liz shook her head and looked sadly at her friends who were now waiting for her to make a huge decision.

"Why are you putting all of this on me?" Liz cried. "She killed my family, she killed my friend. This isn't my decision to make, I can't make this! You can't make me decide if someone should live of die!" Liz yelled at them.

"Ok, sweetie, shh. No one's making you make this decision." Maria calmed Liz down. "I say we vote."

"Fair enough." Max reclaimed his leadership position. "Michael, you start."

"Kill her." Michael said without emotion.

"Max, she…" Isabel cried. "I say yes, kill her."

Everyone jumped as Valenti came through the door.

"What was so urgent that I had to come all the way over here?" He asked.

"Tess is the murderer." Max said clearly. "We're voting about how to handle the situation."

"We already have two 'kill her's', you can vote now." Michael told him as he sat at one of the chairs at the bar.

"Who are we to decide who lives or dies. I vote no, find another way." Kyle stated.

"I'm with Kyle, we don't hold that kind of power." Valenti argued.

"Kill her. The damn bitch killed my best friend, she deserves to die." Maria spat out vehemently.

Max kept his eyes on Liz as he cast his vote.

"No." Max said.

"What? You're the one who said we should take action. Now you want us to sit around on our asses and wait for her to kill all of us." Michael yelled at him.

"I just don't think it's right anymore." Max told Michael.

"Liz, sweetie, cast your vote and break the tie." Maria whispered to Liz. Liz looked up to see everyone's faces.

"No." She spoke quietly.

Maria just looked at her confused. Isabel and Kyle both confused. Michael and Valenti just stood stonewalled. Max took one step towards her.

"I have to get out of here." Liz said before jumping off the couch and running out Michael's back door.

"Liz!" Max called after her.

"Well, that was a surprising turn of events." Michael said.

* * *

Liz ran straight to her destination. She knew what she had to do, she just prayed that she was strong enough to do it. She knocked carefully on the door with her face set in stone. The door opened and the person jumped in fear.

"You're dead." Tess said clearly with fear. "I saw it."

"You obviously didn't think about Max did you?" Liz asked her.

"They know?" Tess asked nervously.

"Yeah, they voted on what to do with you."

"So I guess you're here to kill me." Tess said emotionlessly.

"No. There was a tie to kill you. I broke it. You're safe." Liz told her while looking at the ground.

"Don't you hate me?" Tess asked nervously.

"Yeah, I do. I guess I just wanted to know why. Why did you kill my parents, why did you kill Alex? How many times did you try to kill me, that you covered up?" Liz asked with tears in her eyes.

"Well I suspect that they'll be coming any minute to take me away, so I might as well tell you." Tess admitted while letting Liz enter the house.

Liz sat on the couch while Tess sat on a stool in front of the TV.

"After you accused an alien of killing Alex I was nervous. You seemed dead set on finding out who killed him. I was actually worried that you would figure it all out. I followed you, making sure you didn't get too close. When you brought that folder home I knew that you would figure it out in at least a day or two. I went to your house only planning on scaring you, my little phone message didn't work so I thought a more violent approach was in order." Tess said while looking at the floor. "My powers were out of control. I didn't even know what I did until it was done. You were unconscious and your mother was dead. Your father was barely alive and I knew that if I was caught I would be killed. I ran to your room and tried to find the folder, but I couldn't find it." Liz wiped a tear from her eye as Tess continued.

"I figured that you would probably remember everything and you would tell Max and that would be the end of me. The day of your morphine overdose I was the one who pushed the dosage up. I couldn't let you rat me out. I couldn't let you win when my whole life was on the line. Kivar would kill me if I failed. I tried to think of some other way but I was too afraid to use my powers. One day after all that happened I went to your room and you were asleep, I went inside your mind to find out where the folder was. Once I got it's location I left. I was so scared I had been caught when I bumped into Max in the hall." Tess smiled. "I surely thought I was dead meat. I didn't even think that you guys were on your own little investigation. I burned the folder and went back to life as normal. When I found out that you were remembering what had been happening I used the excuse of helping you retrieve your memories to get close enough to make you forget them. You started resisting them and that's why I attacked you in the alley.

"Liz, you don't understand how my world works. Nasedo made a deal with Kivar and I had to get that deal to work. If I didn't I was as good as dead."

"So you killed innocent people?" Liz asked with anger.

"I didn't mean too. I wish I hadn't, but I did and there is nothing that I can do to bring them back." Tess told Liz remorsefully.

"Well, it's all out in the open and I pose no more threat to you. I just thought I would tell you that I am leaving Roswell, this whole alien secret is ruining my life. I have to get away." Liz told Tess. "And you're right. The others are on their way to get you now, so I really don't care what they do to you."

Liz stood up and started to leave the house. Tess pulled Liz's elbow so she was facing her.

"I know this doesn't mean much, but I'm sorry." Tess admitted.

"That doesn't even matter to me anymore." Liz told her emotionlessly.

Liz walked out of the house and as soon as Tess sat back down Max, Michael, and Isabel were entering the house.

"Tess, we know everything." Max told her as she stood up to face them. No use running.

Liz sat on the ground staring at the headstones. Her parents headstones. She didn't even make it to their funeral. She couldn't decide if her not following this warpath was for the greater good or if it just wasn't even worth it. Liz, Maria, Kyle, and Valenti didn't know what had happened to Tess and none of them really cared. As long as that part of their lives was over. Liz looked over at Maria as she began to stand up. The conversations sped up through her head as she walked towards the car. If only she had listened.

Liz's last bag was taken off of the luggage carrousel as she walked alongside her aunt to their house in Florida. Liz had decided it best for her to leave Roswell, to start fresh. She needed this, she needed normalcy. Her friends understood that. Max even encouraged her to go. She knew that he loved her. She knew that they all loved her. She just wasn't ready to face Roswell knowing all that she knew.

She did know one thing though. This wasn't the end. She stepped out into the hot Florida sun. It was only the beginning.

YEAH!!!   
  
I know what darkness means  
(and the void you learned from me)  
The isolation steams  
(So I think it wants to bleed)  
The echoes in my brain  
(All the things you said to me)  
You took my everything  
Now I'm coming for you!  
  
I won't back down  
I will not bow  
I've come to bring you hell  
I can't forget  
Things you did  
I've come to bring you hell  
  
The shadows that you see  
(In the places that you sleep)  
Are memories of me  
(Better pray your soul to keep)  
The truth behind your eyes  
(You know the thing you never see)  
Your darkest little lies  
I'm coming for you!  
  
All the scars that never heal  
All the wounds that will not seal  
I will not forget the day  
These memories never fall  
  
I've come to bring you hell  
(I've come to bring you hell)

The End

A/N: The End, I'm hoping to get a sequel out in August. Right now I'm gonna try to get organized with my ideas. Thanks to all who supported me with this story, we all know it took me long enough.


End file.
